愛物語: Ai Monogatari
by one-winged-icarus
Summary: Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one… Fem!Kuroko, AU in which GOM and Kagami are rulers.
1. PROLOGUE

**Title: Ai Monogatari**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: **Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings: **Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary: **Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

**Authors Notes:Edited so that the audience could view the meaning easily. **

* * *

**AI MONOGATARI**

**愛****物****語**

**(LOVE STORY)**

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

_**The first time I knew romantic love was when I was five years old. I couldn't remember many things about that day but I could recall that Hahaue(1) had received a message from Chichiue's (2) valet. At that time, the borders of Yozen were attacked by barbarians from the west and Chichue had gone to the frontline to personally oversee the battle. He was a Warrior King and the years spent in the confines of the Crimson Palace had bored him. He was more suited as a general but, nevertheless, he was a good king. Despite hating politics and paper works, he had bear it all because he loved Teiko with all his heart **_

_**I didn't know what the message contained but I could still recall the paleness of Hahaue's cheeks that even the rouge couldn't conceal. Her hands were shaking as she took mine and she led me to the temple. My mother was known as a calm and composed woman so her face didn't change as she uttered and bowed to the ancestors and gods as I knelt beside her. Hahaue didn't force me to pray with her but I stayed by her side until I fell asleep. I didn't know how long I was asleep but by the time I woke up, the sky had turned into a red-orange shade. My mother was still praying but upon seeing me awake, she smiled gently to me and patted my hair. It was then that one of my mother's lady-in-waiting had arrived in a hurry and almost toppled over as she bowed to my mother and me.**_

"_** Shujo(3), the Emperor is here!", **_

_**My mother stood up and bowed to the altar as she, once again, took my hand. She was still shaking as she led me to my wet-nurse. My wet-nurse carried me in her arms and we, along with my mother's ladies-in-waiting, followed my mother. We stopped in front of the stables. I could see Chichiue surrounded by his ministers and generals, fussing over him. His face was tired as he patted his Pegasus (4) but then he saw my mother. I couldn't really describe Hahaue or Chichiue's expression but when they saw each other, it was as if everything around them disappeared, like they were the only people in the world. After a few moments, Chichue smiled, a little awkwardly and my mother raised her arms and her elbows perpendicular to her shoulders, performing a customary greeting of a lady to his lord, with her sleeves covering the lower half of her face. Her ladies-in-waiting and my wet-nurse kowtowed and I was lowered to the ground. When Hahaue put down her hands, there were tears running down from her eyes. My father seemed to have been alarmed by this sight and rushed to Hahaue, he touched Hahaue's face and wiped the tears away. My mother smiled and apologized and my father grabbed her into an embrace. **_

_**The look on their face…**_

_**The small, secretive smile on Hahaue's face…**_

_**The incredibly gentle way in which Chichiue held Hahaue…**_

_**I couldn't help but wish that someday someone would look at me like that. **_

_**I hoped that one day, I would have what they had.**_

* * *

Long ago, when the world was still young and the gods still lived among humans, there was a beautiful maiden. She was nothing but a simple human with no magical powers whatsoever but she had a kind and gentle heart. One day, the maiden saw a bird. What a great bird it was with its crimson wings and golden eyes but the maiden saw that its wings were badly injured that it couldn't fly. Her heart was at once overtaken by pity so she brought the great bird home and tended to it carefully. Then suddenly, as she was applying medicine to its wings, the bird suddenly transformed into a man with crimson hair and golden eyes. The bird was the _**Great Crimson Phoenix(5) **_himselfand had been injured after a great battle with tainted creatures that sought to bring pestilence to the humans. The maiden and the Crimson Phoenix instantly fell in love with each other and their love brought forth a son. That son was the first emperor of Teiko.

Teiko is a great empire and one of the oldest with its history spanning thousands and thousands of years. Teiko is divided into five principalities; Rakuzan, Yozen, Shutoku, Too and Kaijo. Its capital is Rakuzan and it is where the _**Crimson Palace(6)**_, the main home of the Teiko Emperor, is located. The mountain ranges of Yozen are its main vanguard against the barbaric tribes of the west. Shutoku is the closest to Rakuzan and a center for intellectual learning, many of the greatest scholars and mages came from Shutoku. Kaijo is a great center for commerce and relaxation; this is the home of the Merchants Guild. Too, meanwhile, is a sub-tropical region and is best known for its ports and strategic location for trade since it is closest to the Southern Kingdom Desserts. At the East of Teiko, after you crossed the Black Sea and the Black Islands, there is another great country which had close ties to the empire itself, it is called The Kingdom of Seirin.

The Empire of Teiko and the Kingdom of Seirin are said to be 'Brother Nations. The reason behind that name was the fact that the First King of Seirin was a Prince of Teiko. At the time of the Third Emperor of Teiko, the Empress gave birth to two identical twin boys. Both grew up to be of equal good looks, intelligence, military prowess and wisdom. No bond could've been stronger than the bond between the two of them. Both of them had incredible potential to be an _**Enlightened Emperor(7)**_ that the Third Emperor couldn't decide to whom he should give the throne to. In order to avoid conflict and unnecessary war, the younger brother decided to denounce his rights to the _**Phoenix Throne(8)**_. He took his wife and his concubines-their servants and whoever followed him-away from Teiko and settled on a large island. The land was fertile and green and the waters were plenty with fishes, it was on that island that the younger prince founded the Kingdom of Seirin.

Since he denounced his rights to the throne, he took his mother's clan name; Kagami. And since then, the royal family of Seirin bears the name of Kagami. And under the Kagami Dynasty, Seirin flourished.

Naturally, Teiko and Seirin enjoyed good diplomatic relationship. They traded with each other and were allies at wars. Seirin's Royal Family is still regarded as relatives of Teiko's Imperial Family.

Then, two hundred and fifty years ago, a general, through his treacherous deed, killed the Kagamis. The usurper took the throne and he and his successor brought all sorts of misery to Seirinians. The usurper closed the harbours of Seirin and forbid any trading to any kingdom or empire. He also levied large taxes against the people and killed anyone who opposed him.

Unbeknownst to him, one member of the Royal Family of Seirin had survived. He was a young prince who was disguised by his wet-nurse as a girl in order to escape the massacre.

It was through his bloodline that Kagami Taiga had sprung from.

Kagami Taiga was the grandson of that prince. Fifteen years ago, he rebelled against the usurper's son and succeeded in ousting him out of the throne. His blood red eyes and his red hair were proof of his lineage for _**only**_ the members of Imperial Family of Teiko have _**both **_red hair and red eyes. He was called the Light of Seirin and the Tiger for he had the intensity of one. He proved to be a good ruler and surrounded himself with all sorts of people who had integrity and loved Seirin with all their hearts. He had opened the ports and once again encouraged contact and trading to the outside world. He repaired the decaying dams and built roads all around the kingdom. He pawned and sold many of the jewels that the usurper and his successor had collected throughout the years. His devotion to the welfare of Teiko was so great that for the first seven years of his reign, he had not once step into the _**Fire Palace(9)**_. Instead he was literally running around, supervising the constructions of his different projects. And such devotion had paid-off, with just eight years, Kagami Taiga had turned Seirin to a kingdom where, if one work diligently, would have no fear of going hungry.

The passion of their ruler was returned by the people of Seirin. They all love and respect Kagami. He was the Light who had shined when everything was dark. But then on the spring of the fifteenth year of Kagami's reign, something incredibly outrageous happened.

On their way to Teiko, a civilian ship carrying a hundred Seirinians was ambushed by a ship bearing the sign of Teiko. They were even wearing the military uniform of Teiko's army. Ninety-five people were killed, two dozen were children.

No words could express the rage and disbelief of Seirinians after learning the truth. The flame became larger when Teiko denied the incident saying that the Seirinians had lied. But the five survivor swore to their lives that they really saw the _**Crimson Phoenix Insignia(10)**_ printed on the Golden Flag.

It seems that war was inevitable for the two countries. Seirinians were known to be simple, down-to-earth people who made their living by tilling the Earth or fishing but they were also proud and protective people. The Teiko's action was a lighting strike on a clear blue sky. And they wouldn't stand down to such injustice.

* * *

"The Kingdom of Seirin declared war against us", Midorima Shintaro, the Prince of Shutoku informed to his companions. He was carrying a red scroll tied with a black rope. It was sent by Seirin containing their declaration of war

"How incredibly foolish…" Akashi Seijuro, the Emperor of Teiko and Prince of Rakuzan shook his head as he calmly took a sip on his tea cup. His long fingers held the teacup delicately.

The Empire of Teiko is possibly the oldest of the world and the largest in terms of land space. It is composed of five countries; Rakuzan, Shutoku, Touou, Yozen and Kaijo. Rakuzan is the ancestral land of the Emperor of Teiko and it is where the Palace of the Crimson Phoenix is located. The Emperor of Teiko stands at the pinnacle of the hierarchy in Teiko and underneath him are the four princes who ruled Shutoku, Touou, Yozen and Kaijo. The Emperor is also traditionally, the Prince of Rakuzan. Although the emperor is the supreme ruler of Teiko, he doesn't mix himself with ruling the other four countries and only took five percent taxes to the four countries. Nevertheless, the Emperor could revoke any order given by the four princes but it is not often done.

"…Foolish is a light word to describe their actions. Suicidal is more appropriate", Midorima said as he took his seat on the round table.

The _**Round Table of Teiko(11)**_.

Like what it name implies, it is a table circular in shape and have seven seats around it. One for each of the four princes, one for the emperor, one for the head priestess of _**Azalea Congregation(12)**_ and one for the head of the _**Shadow Clan(13)**_. The round shape shows that in this table everyone is equal and could speak whatever they want to say without censure. Most of the important decisions of Teiko were made in this Round Table. The Round Table is located in a Red Pavilion surrounded by a pond with water lilies and magnolia. Moreover, the Round Table was not really _**on this world**_ it is in a place created by the magic of the emperor and the princes and in every palace is an entrance to this place. Only the people who created this world could enter it, meaning the Emperor, the Princes, the leader of the Shadow Clan and the Head Priestess.

"According to the information I had gathered, their army is not even half of Rakuzan's army. Moreover, they are still struggling from a century under an oppressive dynasty", Momoi Satsuki, the Head Priestess of the Azalea Congregation, said.

"Wouldn't expect this kind of thing from Kagami, eh?", Aomine Daiki, the Prince of Touou yawned lazily as he stretched his arms.

Nobody had really met Kagami Taiga but, in a way, the Five Rulers in the Pavilion could relate themselves to the Tiger King. Like Kagami, they had, after all, clawed their way to their thrones.

"No, _**we(14)**_ already expected this to happen", Akashi said lightly. "The Seirinians were known to be incredibly brave, fanatically loyal and extremely proud people. They would rather die than face life knowing that they abandon their fellow countrymen without avenging their death",

"But isn't it really strange?", Princess Kise Ryoko, the Princess of Kaijo and Aomine Daiki's intended, asked. "They seemed really convinced that we had massacred their civilian ship",

"How troublesome", Murasakibara Atsushi was munching on a bag of sweets as usual.

"Hmm…"Akashi made a thoughtful sound. Something is indeed fishy. Kagami wouldn't risk going to war without proof of attack from Teiko side. "What do you think, Tetsumi?"

"The admiral of the navy had denied their allegations and we all know the admiral. He's not the type to do such thing as attacking a ship of civilians", Kuroko Tetsumi remarked making everybody jump in fright with the exception of Akashi.

"Kuroko!"

"Tetsu-chan!"

"Tetsu!"

"Kuroko-chi"

"Kuro-chin."

"I apologize for coming on late", she bowed, her hair accessories tinkling. She had suddenly appeared at the back of Akashi. But such occurrence was not unusual for the First Princess of Teiko, she had been know to possess an untraceable presence that even the most seasoned warrior couldn't sense despite wearing the usual elaborate outfit of her station.

"Geez, why do you always do that kind of stunt?" Aomine asked scratching the back of his head.

"Kuroko-chi!", Kise exclaimed engulfing the shorter princess to her ample chest.

"Ah, that's so unfair Ki-chan!" Momoi grumbled. She was just about to do what Kise was doing but because Kise was neared to Kuroko, she beats the Head Priestess to it.

"Kise-hime. Please release me. I can't breathe", a small muffled voice said in a type of tone of a mother patiently lecturing her child why they couldn't have a puppy.

"Sorry, Kuroko-chi", the Golden Princess said releasing Kuroko but still holding her in the shoulders. "Kuroko-chi is adorable as usual",

"…",

Akashi watched the Three of the _**Four Great Beauties of Teiko(15)**_ with fond eyes. His sister with her delicate, doll-like looks, Kise's vivid beauty and Momoi's lovely, voluptuous figure; the three of them together was a sight to behold. A feast for the eyes especially after looking at his old ministers and gruff hairy generals all day.

"We're stirring out of the conversation", Midorima remarked sliding his spectacles upward. Stubborn and proper as usual, one could always count on the Prince of Shutoku to be a voice of reason in their inner circle.

With Kise and Momoi hanging on her thin shoulders, Kuroko faced the Emperor and the Prince of Shutoku with an unperturbed expression. "The admiral's integrity is unquestioned. But there are disturbing rumours about his son",

"His son?", Akashi asked.

"Ah, I heard those rumors too. Admiral Mizuno's wife died giving birth to his daughter and he never took any concubine or wife again. He spends his free time doting on his daughter. Admiral Mizuno's daughter had recently married to her childhood sweetheart, a captain of the army. But Admiral Mizuno's son-in-law doesn't really have a good reputation", Momoi explained.

"How so…?", Kise-_**hime(16)**_ asked.

"He spends most of his time in the red-light district and had been known to start a brawl or two there", Kuroko-_**himegimi(17)**_'s cool voice revealed.

"Hmm… Interesting", Akashi-_**shujo**_ remarked. "Satsuki, Tetsumi, use your network to find more about this incident", he ordered.

"Thus it shall be done", the two ladies said. Their bow was formal as they put their hands inside their long sleeves and their left hands were on a fist striking their right palm.

"Ah…I hope this crisis could be resolved quickly", Kise complained.

"Don't worry, _**Kicho(18)**_ even if there's a war, I'll make sure that our wedding date wouldn't be jeopardize. Afterall, you had denied me your bed chamber all throughout these years…" Aomine said lecherously.

"Aomine-chi! H-how could you?!", Kise exclaimed scandalized at her fiancé's words.

"Isn't it fine? We'll be husband and wife soon right?"

"It's not too late to back out, Ki-chin", Murasakibara teased.

"Oi!",

"Yeah, that's right. Ki-chan, I'll offer you asylum in my temple! I'm sure that Dai-chan wouldn't be able to get you there", Momoi said adding more fuel to the fire.

Midorima sighed and stood up. "If there's nothing more to discuss, I'll go now…"

Knowing that he'll be the subject of tonight's taunts and jibes, Aomine turned his attention to the Prince of Shutoku and said with the usual grin "What? Too excited to get back to that little birdie you are raising to be your wife someday?"

"Wh-WHAT?", Midorima said, his face pink.

"Isn't that why you bought her? Nice decision by the way, no woman would be sane enough to marry you even with your wealth and status", Aomine's horns were really showing.

The Red Pavillion Official Meeting dissolved into chaos after that. Despite the teasing and ruckus behaviour, there was laughter in there. No one would expect this group to be the _**Generation of Miracles**__. _The group of royals who had been accepted by the spirits of Teiko Empire to be their ruler. They were talented people in their own rights and have the strongest magic in the world.

Amidst the shadows, where everyone had once again forgotten her presence, the First Princess of Teiko watched the group but her eyes were really on just one person.

_**Longing for the moon in the sky.**_

* * *

**1. Hahaue – **The most formal Japanese way to address Mother. Literally means Mother Above and can be interpreted as Most Respected Mother. Commonly used by Royalty in referring to their Mother.

**2. Chichue –** The most formal Japanese way to address Father. Literally means Father Above and can be interpreted as Most Respected Father. Commonly used by Royalty in referring to their Mother.

**3. Shujo –** Means Your Imperial Majesty. This term is used for an Emperor in contrast to_** Heika **_which is used for Kings. By the way, Aomine and the other GoM are usually referred to as _**Denka **_which from what I had researched is used for Princes. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the kanji characters for it, but _**Nakajima Yoko**_ (Twelve Kingdoms) and _**Shi Ryuuki**_ (Saiunkoku Monogatari) was referred to as Shujo in contrast to _**Shibuya Yuuri**_ (Kyo Kara Maou) as Heika. I think it's because Yoko and Ryuuki _are_ Emperors or leads an **Empire** and Yuuri leads a **Kingdom. **The Empress is also addressed in this way. Technically, the only two people who have the title of **Shujo **is the Emperor and the Empress.

**4. Pegasus – **There are strange creatures in Ai Monogatari and this is an example of this. A Pegasus is a flying creature (without wings) with the appearance of a horse. The only difference is that it can fly and it could not be pierced by normal arrows and swords. It can still fly after one of its heart stop because it has **three **hearts. (Imagine an airplane with three engines). It is five times faster than the fastest land horse and four-times faster than a winged horse. It also have incredibly long life span (about 100 years in average). It is hard to breed and hard to tame but once you did tame it, it's loyalty to you would be so strong that it would never allow anyone to ride it other than the person who tame it. Pegasus is normally used by high-ranking generals and ministers as well as Royalties and Imperial Families and is incredibly expensive. Other officials normally rides a winged horse. A winged horse, meanwhile, is a creature who looks like a horse and has wings. It is less expensive than Pegasus but have shorter lifespan and more susceptible to injuries. It also only has **two **hearts and is considerably less faster than a Pegasus.

**5. Great Crimson Phoenix – **The ancestor of the Teiko Imperial Family. The deity of Teiko Empire who is said to protect the populace. You could compare it to Izanami and Izanagi of Japan.

**6. Crimson Palace – **its formal name is **Crimson Palace of the Great Phoenix of Teiko. **The home of the Imperial Family and is divided to two; the Inner Palace (the Harem) and the Outer Palace (the Administrative Area). It is so big that it is also called **the Crimson City. **It has approximately 6000 rooms but only about two thousand is currently in use by the Imperial Family. The 4000 had been converted by the **First Princess of Teiko **into public hospitals and be compared to the Forbidden City of China.

**7. Enlightened Emperor –** An emperor who brings peace and prosperity to the Empire. Akashi Seijuro was said to be one. It's not a title that an Emperor could take but is given by the population. Out of the Fifteen Emperors of Teiko, only four were said to be Enlightened Emperors.

**8. Phoenix Throne – **The Throne of the Emperor. Located at the Hall of Peace and Prosperity (the main hall where the emperor and his ministers and generals conducts meetings and the said to be 'center of Teiko') at a podium of fifty steps.

**9. Fire Palace –** its formal name is **Vermillion Fire Palace, Residence of the Fire King. **The home of the King of Seirin and have similar structure with Crimson Palace but smaller in size. It is also divided into two; the Inner Palace (the Harem) and the Outer Palace (the Administrative Area).

**10. Crimson Phoenix Insignia – **the main symbol of the Imperial Family. It is a Phoenix in full flight with red wings (the tip of its wings are yellow) with golden beak, eyes and feet.

**11. The Round Table of Teiko –**when Akashi Seijuro had bound the Five Countries of Teiko, he promised the royalty of each country that they would be equal as long as they are on the round table. Together, they created the Red Pavilion Universe using their own magic.

**12. Azalea Congregation – **the largest, most influential sect in Teiko Empire with about 150,000 priests and priestess. It is responsible for rituals, rites and matchmaking of nobles. The current head is Momoi Satsuki.

**13. Kuroko Clan –** the most obscure clan in Teiko. They cloud themselves in mystery that they are called the Shadow Clan. They are said to be skilled assassins and an autonomous group who only obeys the Head of their Clan. Said to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They are said to be living in the Black Sea and Black Islands. Nobody really knows. No one knows who its members. The only one who really knows about the clan is the Emperor, the Princes and the Head of Azalea Congregation. The only known members of this clan are the Late Empress and its current head, the First Princess.

**14. We -** Akashi would normally use we even if he is talking about himself alone. The same way that Shi Ryuuki of Saiunkoku Monogatari would refer to himself. In Japanese, monarchs and royalties would use "Yo wa…(余 or 予)" instead of "Watakushi wa…(私, わたくし)". For example "We are expecting this to happen", Akashi said. He was actually talking about himself alone.

**15. The Four Great Beauties of Teiko – **from the name itself, the four most beautiful and most powerful women of Teiko. Also called **Beauty of Four Seasons.** The Four are Momoi Satsuki (the Head Priestess of Azalea Congregation), Kise Ryoko (the Princess of Kaijo), Takao Kazue (the Hawk Princess – currently under the care of the Prince of Shutoku) and Kuroko Tetsumi (the First Princess of Teiko). Momoi is called Haru no Bijin (Spring Beauty), Kise is called Natsu no Bijin (Summer Beauty), Takao is called Aki no Bijin (Autumn Beauty) and Kuroko is called Fuyu no Bijin (Winter Beauty). In Ancient China, there are also Four Great was my inspiration.

**16. Hime – **Princess. The Title of Kise Ryoko as the Princess and leader of the Principality of Kaijo. Aomine, Midorima and Murasakibara's daughters would also be called **Hime. **Kagami's Daughter is also called **Hime. **

**17. Himegimi** – Also means Princess although the Kanji Characters are different. The Title of Kuroko Tetsumi. The Emperor's Daughters are referred to as **Himegimi **in contrast to the King and Princes' Daughters who are called **Hime. **

**18. Kicho – **Means Golden Butterfly. It has the Kanji of 黄蝶. It is Aomine's term of endearment for Kise.

* * *

**IMPORTANT NOTES: PLEASE READ TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY**

This fanfic is inspired by many animes and mangas as well as many Historical Korean, Japanese and Chinese Drama. Saiunkoku Monogatari, Twelve Kingdoms, Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Anatolia Story, Torikago by Shinohara Chie, Dong Yi, Jang Ok Jung Live for Love, Gou: Himetachi no Sengoku to name a few.

The setting of this story would be more likely Classical China especially before the Qing Dynasty. Their clothes would be more likely hanfu in the Ming, Yuan, Han Dynasty.

Another _**IMPORTANT NOTE **_is that there would be a status system that I got from Twelve Kingdoms and Kyo Kara Maou.

At the top of the status system of this Alternate World would be the _**Imperial and Royal Family**_. The Imperial and Royal Families have _longer lives about five to six times longer than an average human_. They have magical powers and can control elements. Although the emperor seat was normally hereditary, in order to become a king or an emperor, the spirit elements of the land need to accept the emperor. A country without a proper emperor or king is a doomed kingdom, there would be countless disasters like great typhoons, plagues, locusts' invasion, and it would also be susceptible to the attack of evil spirits and malicious monsters. That's why the emperor seat should never remain vacant for long. They were said to have descended from gods who married humans.

There were also _**Bonded Servants**_, commoners who serve royalty. They are bonded in the sense that as long as their masters are alive, they could also live but will die as soon as their masters' die. They were also capable of using their master's main element. The number of bonded servants a noble can have depends on his/her own magical power. Some nobles do not even have the capability to support one bonded servant.

There were also _**Commoners**_, and they usually make up 4/5 of the population. They are farmers, soldiers, craftsmen, merchants, fishermen, doctors, scholars to name a few. They only have enough magical powers to support their lives and couldn't normally project their magical powers outside. They mostly live simple short lives in comparison to nobles. But together they could even bring down a king since they are the largest portion of the population.

There was also a class that was a mystery, the _**Sages**_. The sages were born from ordinary commoner parents yet they have the same powers as nobles. They have long lives and powerful magic. Some speculate that they have noble ancestors who keep on marrying nobles until their line become commoner. There were very few sages in the world and they are usually prime prospects for marriage by nobleman/noblewoman.

The reason why sages were high demand is that if a noble keeps on marrying another noble, their line would result to children with several defects. Normally a five generation noble is advised to marry a commoner or a sage, to bring 'new blood' to the line. The Azalea Congregation usually handles the matchmaking.

The Azalea Congregation is a special case since its priestesses and priests are bound to the spirits themselves but they don't have the capacity to rule. They wouldn't die or age as long as they serve the Azalea Congregation but once they removed themselves from the list, they would age normally if they are commoners. Many of priests and priestess of commoner status retire after fifty years.

* * *

**Edited: 8/21/13**

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: For some unknown reasons the Japanese Characters don't appear. I'm really sorry for this. **


	2. Chapter One: The Emperor's Letter

**Title: Ai Monogatari**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: **Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings: **Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary: **Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

**Author's Notes: **Edited for better viewing.

* * *

**AI MONOGATARI**

**愛****物****語**

**(LOVE STORY)**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: THE EMPEROR'S LETTER**

_**It was the 35th Year of Emperor Akashi Seijuro's reign. A nobleman called Duke Shu was arrested and put to death for the crime of slave-trading and kidnapping of children. His properties and assets had been seized by the government. **_

_**One month after, the son of Duke Shu disguised himself as a gardener and went to the White Orchid Quarters. He planned to kill the favorite sister of His Imperial Majesty, First Princess Kuroko Tetsumi, as a retribution for killing his father. But before he could enter the gate, his body had been sliced to ribbons by unseen forces and was set to flames that seemed to appear out of thin air.**_

_**- Chronicles of Akashi Seijuro's Reign**_

* * *

The night was dark and humid. It was a hot summer night in Rakuzan yet he was shivering. His body couldn't move and he was paralyzed on the floor. He could only gawk at the figure in front of him. The person was dressed in full black and his/her face was covered in black cloth. The only thing that he could see was the mercilessly cold blue eyes that looked at him without any emotion.

"P-please…", he begged. He had been dreading this for months now ever since he had taken that stupid bet. He had lost so he did _**it**_. And what was a few dozens of filthy Seirinians anyway? He was the son-in-law of the famed Admiral Mizuno, the most powerful admiral in Rakuzan. And he had been itching to create a name for himself. The empire had grown complacent with peace that the reign of Emperor Akashi had brought so the chances to create a reputation for being a great fighter were incredibly thin. He was the greatest fighter in the military academy but what is a fighter without a fight to prove his prowess?

"Mizuno Yuu, son-in-law of Admiral Mizuno Chuyoshi and husband of Mizuno Chiyoshi. I had been sent here by Akashi-shujo. You have a choice. Please kill yourself so your death will be, at the very least, honorable", the figure said as though simply reciting a list of chores to a maid.

"I … I d-don't want… to…die!", Mizuno Yuu, the Captain of Sea Lady and the man who ordered the massacre of the Seirinians for fun, trembled at the direct gaze. He wanted to beg for his life. He was still too young to die! He had so much to do.

"The Seirinians you had killed didn't want to die too…"

"P-please… I'll do anything… Please… I'm sorry…"

The person, his executioner, sensed that it was useless to give Mizuno Yuu the choice for an honorable death. The man had no courage to perform the ritual.

The person sighed and said "I really don't want to kill you…"

Mizuno Yuu exhaled a breath of relief. Maybe he could bribe this person. Maybe this person could pity him.

"I don't want your blood on my blade. It had been given to me by _**Hahaue(1)**_ and was passed down to generations. It is used to kill people not pigs", the person's polite speech…his/her unnerving voice made Mizuno Yuu literally wet his pants. And even then, the blue eyes exposed by the black head scarf didn't change, it remained unemotional.

"Goodbye, Mizuno Yuu… I wish that you would never be born as a Teiko Citizen again",

* * *

He caught her scent before he noticed her presence. Admiral Mizuno was not naive enough to think that he was able to sense her because of his skills. Despite being a war veteran who had fought with Akashi-_**shujo **_in the Succession Wars, he knew that he didn't have enough power or skill to feel her presence without her exposing herself voluntarily. Such was the power of the First Princess of Teiko.

The shadow.

The phantom.

She has the incredible ability to mask her presence and the only one powerful enough to _**see **_her is His Imperial Majesty, Akashi Seijuro.

In this dark room, her sweet scent made dangerous memories resurface in his mind. How long was it since he had seen her?

Twenty?

Thirty?

Too long.

Yet despite the passage of time, he had not been able to forget her.

He could still remember how he fell in love at first sight. (Like any other man who had seen her face). He had been happily married then and he thought that he loved his wife. Perhaps he really did love his wife. His poor wife who had died in childbirth and had given him his greatest treasure, he had loved her as a man would love a woman. But Admiral Mizuno Chuyoshi loved Kuroko Tetsumi-_**himegimi**_ with a _**love**_ of a man to a goddess.

Something unreachable.

Unattainable yet it still stirs the heart with endless longing.

"Admiral Mizuno, you are guilty for covering up Captain Mizuno Yuu's crime", an emotionless voice said at his back.

They say that it is better to have ten treacherous servants than one evil daughter-in-law. Perhaps the same could be said with sons-in-law.

Old age doesn't bring wisdom.

He had been too arrogant. He had forgotten _**shujo's(2) **_ability to uncover any truths and unearth any secrets. As a servant of Akashi-_**shujo**_, he should have surrendered his son-in-law to the authorities.

_But his dear, dear daughter. The apple of his eye. The joy of his existence._

She had begged him in tears to save his son-in-law. His daughter promised that if her husband should die, then she should kill herself too. It was his daughter's great flaw. She doesn't love too often. She was a shy, sweet girl who couldn't look at anyone straight in the eye. A small mouse. But when she loves, she loves with everything she has. To destruction.

And she refused to see Captain Yuu's faults; his flashy attitude was a mask to hide his weak character. Admiral Mizuno didn't have the ability to say no to his daughter who until then had never really asked for anything. So he had allowed them to get married and adopted the nameless, ambitious man as his son and gave him a name.

Things went downhill then.

And now, he had to pay for his crime.

"I accept _**Shujo's **_punishment", he said quietly.

How lucky he was. The witness of his ritual suicide was none other than the most beautiful woman in Rakuzan, the most powerful, the most revered_._ The veritable Jewel of the Crown.

_Shujo, thank you for this honor. Farewell. In my next life, I hope that I can serve you better._

It was his last thought as he sliced the small blade on his neck.

* * *

**"If you are not in danger, do not fight"**

**Sun-tzu**

* * *

It was late in the evening and yet, the Emperor of Teiko was still awake. He was seated in a large comfortable chair and his table was laden with various papers and scrolls. The large window was opened so the moon light helped the candles and oil lamps illuminate the room. Moreover, since it was summer in Rakuzan, the nights were particularly humid. The open window let the wind pass through the room to bring comfort to the most powerful man in the world. Yet despite wearing layers and layers of silk cloth, the Emperor remained as cool and composed as ever.

Akashi Seijuro dipped his brush to the jade inkwell. His left hand was holding his right sleeve so that it wouldn't be stained by the ink. Then on a thick white paper he slowly drafted a letter. He was in the middle of his writing when he caught a scent. A sweet scent that was incredibly familiar mixed with the coppery scent of blood.

"Tetsumi. Welcome back.", the Emperor greeted without stopping in his letter writing.

"I have safely returned and I had completed my mission", a voice in the shadows said.

"And Admiral Mizuno?"

"He killed himself",

"His daughter…?"

"Also killed herself.",

"Yet we could still smell blood on you…" The Emperor was not worried that she had hurt herself in the mission. That kind of assassination was a piece of cake for her. The Emperor could still remember when he had just taken the throne. Enemies were everywhere then. In just a single night, he had managed to eliminate half of his enemies just by unleashing his _**dear**_ sister to them. The other half was so frightened that they didn't have the guts to question his rule again.

"Admiral Mizuno had an incredibly bad luck in in-laws",

"So that foolish boy was not even a man enough to kill himself. We apologize for dirtying your blade. We thought that at the very least, he would have enough honor to kill himself. What a waste. Admiral Mizuno was a great man". The emperor shook his head in regret.

"If that's all, then please allow me to go",

"You're dismissed. Good work, Tetsumi",

When he felt that once again he was alone, he lifted his finished letter. His hands were holding the edge of the heavy weight paper. This letter would later be sent to Seirin alongside a handful of loyal dignitaries and diplomats. It was an admittance of guilt by Teiko. An offer to pay reparation to the victims and their families. An invitation to the King of Seirin to visit his cousin, the Emperor of Teiko.

If the emperor isn't Akashi-shujo, Teiko would've gone to war. They were superior in military strength, superior in any aspects. They would have won without doubt. With ease that it would feel like a total massacre.

But because it was Akashi-shujo, Teiko decided not to go to war. War is a costly business. It destroys lives. It hinders trade and economy. What would Teiko gain anyway? A few miles of land? They have no need for such things. Teiko is the greatest and largest empire in the world. It is self-sufficient and the population of Teiko lives fairly comfortable lives. They have no need for other resources.

Moreover, they are in the _**wrong**_ this time. If they didn't bow their heads in apology, it would reflect bad on Teiko's image. Their neighboring kingdoms were already envious and afraid of their military power and robust economy. Should they engage in war with Seirin, the surrounding kingdoms and countries would attack them. Maybe not now but in the near future. The reason for their attacks would be simple. In the future, if such thing happens again, this time it is their citizens, Teiko would cover-up their crime. Power breeds envy and envy breeds hatred and what people hate they want dead. They will win their war against Seirin, no doubt about that. But the battles after that the Teiko's neighbors would wage, would bring devastating damage to their country. It would be a waste of resources and a waste of life.

It is better to avoid one victorious war than to suffer more wars.

But the most important thing is that, Akashi-_**shujo **_didn't want the Teiko populace to think that just because they are wealthier and more powerful, they could bully and do anything to non-Teiko people. The emperor wanted his people to treat other non-Teiko people fairly and kindly. If people treat each other with respect they deserve, they could live in peace where the efforts and energies put into warfare could be converted to agriculture and economy.

No one could predict the future after all. Today, Teiko is prosperous and strong but who knows what would happen tomorrow. What if Teiko treated their neighboring kingdoms with indignity, then wouldn't those neighboring kingdom harbor hatred for Teiko? And people are more prone to remember those who injured them than those who healed them. If Teiko would fall in the future and their treatment to those neighboring kingdoms are deplorable, those neighbouring kingdom would then attack Teiko like vultures circling around a dying prey.

So after finishing his letter to _**Kagami-heika(3)**_, the Emperor wrote another letter to the public. He told them the truth (except that he said that Captain Mizuno Yuu, Admiral Mizuno Chuyoshi and Lady Mizuno Chiyoshi had killed themselves in guilt). For this reason, he will send diplomats to Seirin to negotiate against the upcoming war.

He promised his people that those diplomats would do their best to avoid war and urge Teiko to pray for the diplomats' success. It is better for the public to know some truth regarding this matter. The letter to the public would be reproduced and posted at every market, every city square, every government building and schools. Akashi-_**shujo **_knew his people are proud (and he had no qualms with pride as long as that pride is supported by actions and truth) but he wanted them to know that he wanted his people to be someone who could lower their heads in apology if they did something wrong.

"Kagami Taiga, if you are a king enough to forgive past faults for the benefit of a brighter future for your people, come to Teiko", Akashi-_**shujo **_said to himself as he took a small square box made of black glossy lacquered wood.

The lid of the box was decorated by a painted golden and crimson phoenix with its wings in full flight and its eyes were made of two red rubies. This box contained the _**Heavenly Phoenix Seal(4)**_; the seal of the emperor, the box couldn't be opened by anyone but the emperor himself. He put his right hand and let his magic power travel to the box. The box had recognized his magical signature and the emperor lifted the lid. The emperor doesn't really use the Heavenly Phoenix Seal often, it is mostly used if the most formal edicts and laws and documents. In everyday work, the emperor would use a seal that looks like the Heavenly Phoenix Seal called the _**Emperor's Seal(5)**_. The difference between the two is that the Emperor's Seal contained the Emperor's name while the Heavenly Golden Phoenix Seal doesn't so once the Emperor dies, his Emperor's Seal would be destroyed too while the Heavenly Golden Phoenix Seal would be shut off in the box again by the Azalea Congregation to wait for the next emperor.

Akashi-_**shujo **_took a few moments to appreciate the beauty of the Heavenly Phoenix Seal. The top where it could be gripped was made of hard gold, the type that could only be found in the mountain ranges of Yozen and its wings were spread in full flight. The details were incredibly ornate that it looks like it was the true legendary bird itself. The whole seal was made of gold except the tips of its wings, tail and beak which were made red glossy corals found in the Blue Sea of the Principality of Too. The artist who made the seal thousands and thousands of years ago was a native of Kaijo where the best craftsmen and artist could be found. But the one who put the magic spell that made the Heavenly Phoenix Seal different from any other seal came from Shutoku. The mythical bird's eyes were the most precious red diamonds that could only be found in the ancestral lands of Kuroko Clan.

Crowns and palaces were not really the true proof that one was the Emperor of Teiko, it was this very seal that prove the authenticity of the Emperor. Whoever has this seal and was accepted by it was the true Emperor. For this seal is an extension of the spirits of Teiko and if anyone other than the Emperor himself, even if they are the crown prince, put his hand on it, he would be instantly killed. His whole body would be consumed by an unquenchable fire and would turn to ashes in a matter of seconds.

Akashi-_**shujo **_put his right hand on the area where the feet of the legendary bird meets the square golden seal and lifted the quite heavy seal from the red velvet cushion of the box. He could feel the seal was taking some of his magical power. His soul instantly felt its connection to the spirits of his land. He could almost hear their voices and could almost understand their words. It felt like he was part of another world now and was with the spirit themselves. It was at these moments when he really feels his power as the lord of Teiko. His existence was vital for this land, without him evil spirits and beasts would descend and kill his people, without him the whole land would be plagued by infestations, drought, floods and earthquakes.

He is the Emperor of Teiko, the father to the Teiko populace.

For this he is honoured.

For this he is cursed.

Like any other king and emperor and ruler.

Akashi-_**shujo **_took a large breath and put the Heavenly Phoenix Seal at the end of his letter. The seal have no need for ink for it uses the Emperor's magic. When the emperor lifted the seal, a red glowing mark was embedded on the thick white paper. The red glowing mark contains the letters 'Servant to the People: Emperor of Teiko'. After this, the Emperor put the seal back to its box and he uttered a silent but heartfelt thanks to the spirits who constantly supports him. He could almost hear their approval and his weary heart was instantly felt passion that he had not felt in years. He set the lid back to the box and fed it with his magic again to shut it tight.

No one other than him could lift it.

Tomorrow, the Head Adviser, Adviser Shirogane would take it and hid it once again the Rakuzan Treasury. It would be put in a vault and sealed by Adviser Shirogane's magic and would be heavily guarded by two soldiers inside the back of the Treasury. The Treasury itself had two doors both guarded by four soldiers and two platoon of soldiers would patrol the room day and night.

Tomorrow, his Prime Minister, Mibuchi Reo would give it to the dignitaries and diplomats to be sent to Seirin's young king. It is up to him, the King of Seirin, if he would lead his people to a massacre war or if he would take the Emperor's hands in a good alliance.

* * *

_**The Emperor of Teiko, for all his astuteness and wisdom, had no clue that the wheel of fate was turning.**_

_**That letter would be the match for a bigger flame. **_

_**They say that love is made in heaven.**_

_**Those who are fated to meet will meet.**_

_**Those who are fated to fall in love, will fall in love. **_

_**Not even the vast sea.**_

_**Not even million miles.**_

_**Could prevent their meeting.**_

_**The Emperor of Teiko is still an instrument of fate.**_

_**Like any other person in this world.**_

* * *

The King of Seirin sat on his throne. The throne was situated at an elevated podium at the center of the receiving hall. At his right and left was a group of young men about the same age as their liege. The young men were sitting on high backed chair with a long square table in front of them. All of them were wearing formal black minister robes except one who had armor donned on. The only one standing, in the formal position of a Prime Minister was a young woman who was wearing similar black minister robes. She was carrying a red and black _**flabellum(6)**_ with its golden handle. She had her dark hair on a bun covered by white cloth and tied by a black ribbon. She was also fairly pretty.

"Greetings, King Kagami Taiga. I had been sent here by His Imperial Majesty, Akashi Seijuro to negotiate about the… massacre at the Black Sea last spring. My name is Beni Kei, the Senior Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", Minister Beni Kei said as he and his team bowed politely in front of the young king.

"I would like to say we are honoured to receive you on this court but that would be a lie", the young king said. Minister Beni Kei looked up and instantly took a step back.

_What a dangerous looking man. His eyes… they are like those of wild beasts. Like tigers._

"Kagami-heika", the young woman admonished. Her brown eyes became steely. "I apologize for our rudeness. Welcome to Seirin, Minister Beni Kei. I am Aida Riko, the Prime Minister and Head Adviser of Seirin",

Minister Beni Kei already suspected that she was the Prime Minister but to be Head Adviser also… it was quite surprising. It is true that in Teiko, women could become ministers since the seventh emperor's reign. And they found that women could never be beaten to management skills. Right now, in Akashi-_**shujo**_'_**s**_ court, the Senior Minister of the Ministry of Finance and the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Public Welfare were women. About one-third of public officials were women in Teiko but that's what made Teiko special. In the Dessert Kingdoms, women are not allowed to take official posts. The same could be said in the Western and Northern Tribes. Because Seirin had been isolated and closed for centuries, they thought that the same could be said to them.

"Greetings, Prime Minister Aida. The Emperor and his court send their felicitations. We apologize for the actions of Captain Mizuno. He was the instigator of the massacre. We wish to inform you that everyone involved had been severely punished and we humbly ask that you don't judge Teiko by the action of one man", Minister Benikei said politely.

"Isn't it a little too late for such things. When we ask for reparations, the court of Teiko denied all accusations", the king said fiercely.

"Kagami-heika", the Prime Minister said her voice advising their king caution.

"My people thirst for blood and justice. And you give it too late. Isn't it been said that justice delayed is justice denied?", Kagami-heika said fiercely.

_Such brash words. Such arrogance. _Minister Beni Kei thought.

If he was a man of short temper, he would've snarled and said his thoughts. Seirin is nothing compared to Teiko. As he travel to their capital in the Fire Province, he had seen the state of the country. It is true that the fields are slowly turning green but the amount of neglect that the country had suffered after two bad reigns is still screamingly obvious. Apart from the lack of money, Seirin also lack manpower. If they would've gone to war, the well-trained army of Teiko would really annihilate Seirin. Their win would be a landslide, no doubt about that. But Minister Beni Kei wouldn't have become the Senior Minister of Department of Foreign Affairs if he have a short temper. In Teiko, he is known as silver tongue Beni Kei, the man who could charm the legs of a table to dance.

"Teiko have no wish to engage war with Seirin. I'm sure that we could work something out. After all, aren't Teiko and Seirin brother nations? Our ancestors would be rolling in the grave if they knew that we would fight each other", Minister Benikei said.

Kagami-heika was still seething, the Senior Minister could see that and once again, he almost shook his head. Such blatant display of emotions is fatal in the world of politics.

"I brought a letter from Akashi_**-shujo**_. If Kagami-_**heika**_ would be so kind to read it, I'm sure our emperor would be glad", Minister Benikei said offering the red scroll where Akashi-_**shujo's **_letter was stick on to. The red scroll was tied by a black silk rope. He offered it with two hands to the Prime Minister of Seirin. The young woman looked at the King, who almost reluctantly nodded. She took it and handed it to the King.

The king untied the rope binding the scroll and unfurled it. With the letter blocking half of his face, he read Akashi-shujo's words carefully.

* * *

_**On the Late Summer of the 70th Year of Emperor Akashi Seijuro's reign and the 15th Year of Kagami Taiga's reign, the Senior Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Beni Kei arrived at Seirin. He was accompanied by 5 diplomats and 30 soldiers. He brought gifts of 5 bolts fine silk, 5 carts of high-class tea and a Kaijo-crafted sword made from iron found in the mountain ranges of Yozen. The purpose of his visit was to negotiate with the Court of Seirin to avoid war between Teiko and Seirin. The Emperor sent a letter with his diplomats to be read by the King of Seirin.**_

_**After receiving the letter, the Kagami-heika dismissed Minister Beni Kei and his party. In the afternoon of the next day, Kagami-heika told Minister Beni Kei "I am still having doubts about forgiving Teiko and agreeing to the offered treaty but I would accept your Emperor's invitation". **_

_**And so, Kagami-heika alongside Senior Minister Hyuga and Senior Minister Tsuchida with other ten ministers and thirty soldiers prepared to cross the Black Ocean.**_

_**At the same time in the borders of Too and Kaijo, there's a great preparation for the upcoming wedding of the Prince of Too and the Princess of Kaijo. **_

_**- Chronicles of Akashi Seijuro's Reign also recorded in Chronicles of Kagami Taiga's Reign.**_

* * *

**1. Hahaue **- The most formal Japanese way to address Mother. Literally means Mother Above and can be interpreted as Most Respected Mother. Commonly used by Royalty in referring to their Mother.

**2. Shujo –** Means Your Imperial Majesty. This term is used for an Emperor in contrast to_** Heika **_which is used for Kings. By the way, Aomine and the other GoM are usually referred to as _**Denka **_which from what I had researched is used for Princes. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the kanji characters for it, but _**Nakajima Yoko**_ (Twelve Kingdoms) and _**Shi Ryuuki**_ (Saiunkoku Monogatari) was referred to as Shujo in contrast to _**Shibuya Yuuri**_ (Kyo Kara Maou) as Heika. I think it's because Yoko and Ryuuki _are_ Emperors or leads an **Empire** and Yuuri leads a **Kingdom. **The Empress is also addressed in this way. Technically, the only two people who have the title of **Shujo **is the Emperor and the Empress.

**3. Heika** – Please see Shujo

**4. Heavenly Phoenix Seal** – the most important treasure of Teiko. It had the reverse color of the Crimson Phoenix Insignia(see first chapter for explanation). Made in the Third Emperor's Reign by the collaboration of different principality of Teiko. The Heavenly Phoenix Seal uses resources of Teiko. The gold from Yozen. The red corals of Too. The craftsmanship of Kaijo. The magical expertise of Shutoku. The red diamonds of Black Islands. It is the physical representation of the spirits of Teiko and only the Emperor recognized by the spirits could handle it. Normally kept in the Rakuzan Treasury and was only used for very special occasions.

**5. Emperor's Seal** - The idea of the Emperor's Seal came from the Pope's ring. Every time, a pope took office, a new ring would be made for him and the previous pope's ring would be destroyed.

**6. Flabellum **– the symbol of the Prime Minister of a Kingdom. It is shaped like a fan with feathers and golden handle. It's basically the Metal Vessel of _**Hakumei of Magi.**_ Tei Yuushun of Sauinkoku Monogatari also have this.

**OTHER NOTES:**

Senior Minister Beni Kei contained this characters **(**紅**)** and **(**慶**) **which means crimson and celebrate.

The journey between Teiko's Capital to Seirin's Capital is about two weeks. They have to cross the Black Ocean which separates the two countries.

_**NEXT CHAPTER!**_

In the next chapter, Kagami-heika would sail to Teiko and meet Akashi-shujo.

He would also meet the First Princess of Teiko.

So watch out for the next chapter!

* * *

**Edited: 8/21/13**


	3. Chapter Two, Part 1: The Greatest Empire

**Title: Ai Monogatari**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: **Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings: **Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary: **Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: I changed the one accompanying Kagami-heika to Teiko. I replaced Izuki with Hyuuga because I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE PUNS! I apologize for the people who wanted to see Izuki-san. Just blame it on my lack of humor. And because the chapter is too long, I decided to split it into two.**

* * *

**AI MONOGATARI**

**愛****物****語**

**(LOVE STORY)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: THE GREATEST EMPIRE in THE WORLD, PART ONE.**

* * *

**More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars - Franklin D. Roosevelt**

* * *

Kagami Taiga, the Tenth King of Seirin, faced the Black Sea with an expression that would've brought fear to the most courageous of men. His brilliant red eyes were alight with a certain desire to destroy, like a hungry tiger looking at its prey. As the King of Seirin, he harbored deep hatred to the land beyond the Black Sea. The reason behind his sentiments was the ruthless massacre of his people last spring. To add insult to the injury, Teiko had denied the allegations despite the eyewitnesses accounts. And now, when summer was ending, Teiko suddenly sent an ambassador. Just when the hate in his and Seirinians' hearts had transformed itself to a feeling that no apologies would be sufficient. Blood must be spilled.

Truthfully, despite being a Warrior King, Kagami Taiga hated war. When he had rallied the Seirinians against the False King, he had seen the horror and the destruction it made to their land. As if the two hundred and fifty years of oppression was not enough. But there are some fights you have to make in order to live and that revolution was one of them. When he finally ascended to the Fire Throne, the hearts of Seirinians were full of hope. It was a new beginning for them. Like the coming of spring after a long, freezing winter. The massacre was a dark cloud on their otherwise bright sky.

Kagami Taiga knew the power of Teiko, the Great Empire, from the rumors and intelligence gathered by Prime Minister Aida. Under Akashi Seijuro, the Fifteenth Emperor, the empire had flourished and prospered. Their technology was the most advanced, their people were the healthiest, their army was the strongest. Going to war against them with Seirin's state would be basically the battle of an elephant against an ant. If their apology had been a little bit early, they wouldn't have bristled like this. They would've accepted it under certain provisions. But the apology had come too late. Like a tiny flame on a haystack, where time is the wind, the hatred of Seirinians had not cooled but it became more powerful. Two-thirds of Seirinians no longer care if their lives would be lost, so long as they could draw Teiko blood.

Kagami couldn't be a king who abandons the innocent blood spilled. The safety of all Seirinians is threatened when one Seirian's safety is threatened. And if such thing would happen again in the future…

But that letter… remembering it made Kagami-heika clenched his fists. It hit something inside of him. The Emperor was right, as the lord of their respective lands; they have responsibility to the people. A king has the power to lead his people to prosperity or lead them to their death.

Kagami-heika recalled the contents of it letter. He had read it so many times that he had actually memorized it. His old teacher, the Living Goddess Alexandra of the Unexplored Regions East of Seirin, taught him that a person's handwriting reflected his soul. A good warrior would have good hand writing. Akashi Seijuro's handwriting was a conundrum, a study of contrasts. It was of equal elegance of a great artist and the strength of an excellent warrior. The words were both straightforward yet also subtle in its meaning. Kagami couldn't determine what kind of person the Fifteenth Emperor of Teiko is. His handwriting and words were sincere enough but Kagami couldn't help but ask, why now and not before?

"We'll be boarding the ship in a few minutes, Heika", Senior Minister Tsuchida said. Senior Minister Tsuchida was a kind, gentle man. The head of a large family. He was practical, calm and genial. He had been friends with Kagami-heika since the revolution and when Kagami-heika was crowned as the Tenth King, he had been appointed as the Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs. The last few months had been a nightmare for him because he had been the one negotiating with Teiko. He had been snubbed and his pride had been trampled so many times by Teiko. He was also one of the people in Kagami Taiga's inner circle who were against the war not because he doesn't hate Teiko but because he had seen Teiko with his very eyes. When Senior Minister Beni Kei arrived and brought an apology from Teiko, Senior Minister Tsuchida was relieved and with Prime Minister Aida, tried to persuade the King to accept the apology, although they had failed in that aspect, the two had managed to persuade Kagami-heika to go to Teiko to meet the Emperor. Seirin's Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs wished and prayed fervently that this visit would go well. He had a fiancé whom he loved with all his heart and like any young man who had seen a glimpse of absolute happiness in the future, he had no wish for war that could-would-ruin it.

The redhead nodded but his eyes never left the Black Sea. Something was not right. This he could feel. He would be meeting the Emperor of Teiko but he sensed that there is something more than that.

Why did he felt so unsettled?

Kagami Taiga was aware that he was not the brightest of men but he had always been proud of his instincts. Something will happen in Teiko. Whether it is good or bad, he had no clue.

But something big will happen that would alter his life and the future of his kingdom, this he knew. Let it not be said that Kagami Taiga was a person who runs away from trials and challenges. Instead of looking afraid, his eyes shone brighter and in his mind, he thought 'Bring it on. I am unafraid. Whatever you throw at me, I'll accept and conquer'.

He doesn't know at that time that it was the spirits of Seirin who was speaking indirectly to him and they already know that in Teiko, there is a _**jewel**_. The spirits of Seirin smiled, if incorporeal spirits could smile, and thought 'We have a gift for you, Oh Great King'. Everything in their lives, every event had been for this.

Kagami Taiga, you have a meeting not only with the Emperor.

Good Luck.

* * *

_**Kagami Taiga, the Tenth King of Seirin,**_

_**Greetings, Kagami-heika**_

_**We hope that you are in good health despite the hot weather. We are also in the middle of summer here in Rakuzan. Although the air is humid, we count ourselves lucky that the heat in Rakuzan is nowhere in comparison to the sweltering summer in Too. With this climate, the jasmine flowers are in full bloom and the water lilies are in their peak. We enjoy the sweet scent of these flowers as we write this letter. Outside of the open latticed windows, we could see ten thousand fireflies resting in an oak tree. Their light looks like the stars in the sky. Everything here is quiet except for the crickets that sang a lullaby whose message is only known to them. **_

_**This peace that we are enjoying-We hope that it will always stay.**_

_**The incident that cracked our millennium old relationship as brother nations, we bow our head in apology for it. But we ask Kagami-heika to refrain from judging our people by the action of a wayward one. The Teiko people dislike war. We're sure that Seirians are the same for we had come from the same ancestors. Teiko have a policy to never attack and to never conquer countries. When we reach foreign lands, we never unsheathe our blades but instead offer our open hands to negotiate for trade. We do not seek more territories and are more than content with our own. But Teiko also have a policy to never let any country attack us that's why we raised a strong army whose main purpose is to defend our citizen's lives and the peace we are enjoying now. **_

_**With this spirit, we ask Seirin. Could we not lay down our arms and cool our anger? Seirin would benefit more in an alliance with Teiko as Teiko would enjoy better trade with Seirin. As part of our apology, the Teiko Government would offer an unlimited, interest-free loan that Seirin may use for any project that they may deem to conduct. We are also willing to lower our tariff to any goods from Seirin that could be sold in Teiko.**_

_**Should you doubt our good intentions, talk to us face-to-face. We invite you to our humble empire and any number of ministers and soldiers, that you may want to bring. See for yourself what kind of country Teiko is and the people who are not different from Seirinians. We are not warmongers or blood thirsty murderers. We are people of the earth too who desired nothing but freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Judge for yourself, cousin, what kind of country Teiko is and what kind of ruler we are. **_

_**We hope that you would consider this offer. **_

_**Akashi Seijuro, the 15**__**th**__** Emperor of Teiko and the Prince of Rakuzan. **_

- **The Letter of Teiko's Fifteenth Emperor to Seirin's Tenth King. Stored in Seirin's Archives.**

* * *

The Black Sea that separated Teiko Empire and Seirin Kingdom had calm waters yet even the most seasoned seamen were afraid of crossing it. With a choice, they would rather sail in the turbulent waters of the Blue Sea, South of Teiko near the Too Principality. Storms and typhoons they could navigate and survived but not the Black Sea.

The Black Sea which is also called the Sea of Ten Thousand Mysteries.

"The water is not even black. Why is it called Black Sea?" Kagami asked looking at the clear sparkling blue water.

"I can't believe that you didn't listen to the Prime Minister in her lesson. Are you an idiot or what?", Senior Minister Hyuga asked. In the presences of an outsider, Senior Minister Hyuga Junpei was the image of a calm, resolute man with a fierce scowl on his face. But in times of crisis, he would take another persona. A man who had a vitriolic tongue and whose precision in his work was unparallel and whose judgments were reliable. He is the _**Right Minister of Teiko (1)**_ whose rank is second only to the Prime Minister and of equal status to the General of the Army (the Left Minister). Like any other member of the Kagami's Inner Circle, they could freely speak their minds to him. Even if their words normally question his intelligence. Kagami had no qualms of them speaking disrespectfully to him because he knew despite their sharp tongues; they are loyal to him and his cause. Hundreds of battle had assured him of it. And most of the time, his ministers were only disrespectful to him when they are alone without the presence of an outsider.

"It's called the Black Sea because it is owned by the Kuroko Clan", Tsuchida replied gently. "All the islands in the Black Sea too",

"Why couldn't we ride Pegasus or at the very least winged horses instead of sailing? It would be faster too", Kagami grumbled. He preferred riding and hated the slow travel of the ship.

A sharp laugh made the three men in the deck turn around and they saw Senior Minister Beni Kei followed by a retinue of scribes and ministers. The two Seirinian Ministers put their clenched left hand on their right palm and bowed politely. Senior Minister Beni Kei bowed back in the similar manner while Kagami-heika merely nodded.

"I apologize for eavesdropping but flying above the Black Sea is more suicidal than sailing across it", he said. A look of blankness enveloped the three Seirinians. It had been taught to them as Seirin citizens that the only way to cross the Black Sea is by ship or boat; they don't know the reason behind it. Seeing their confusion Senior Minister Beni Kei explained further.

"The Black Sea is not like any kind of sea or bodies of water in the world. You could say that it is in itself a living thing with only one master",

He looked up and saw a clear blue sky and the warmth of the summer sun hit his face.

"A living thing with only one master?" Hyuga asked.

"Aye. It doesn't really allow just about anyone to sail on it. Those who tried would end up being swallowed by the water or some kind of water monster. There are _**plenty**_ in the Black Sea. The only people allowed to sail on it are the Teiko people and the Seirinians. And their travel is still on the whim of the master of the Black Sea. The two week travel could stretch to a _**year**_ if the master wish for it and a two week travel could be accomplished within a week. They say that the Black Sea reflects the will and whims of its master", Beni Kei explained. "We're lucky. The Mistress of the Black Sea and Black Islands had granted us explicit permission to sail. The water is peaceful. The wind is strong. The sky is clear. This good weather is all thanks to the Mistress",

"That doesn't explain why we couldn't fly above it", Kagami remarked.

"Ah, my apologies", Beni Kei said politely. "But Kagami-heika should remember this. Don't let its calm appearance fool you", he said looking at the clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds. "The sky of the Black Sea is poisoned with thick fumes. If you fly on it, please be reassured that you'll just drop back to the sea lifeless."

The king looked up and gulped. One must never really judge by appearance alone. Then at that moment, Kagami finally understood. Before the usurper took over and closed the harbors, Seirin had a monopoly of trade from the Unexplored Eastern Regions and beyond. Seirin merchants would sail to Teiko and sold those goods and bring back goods from Teiko to be sold to Unexplored Eastern Regions' merchants or to the Unexplored Regions themselves. Because those of the Unexplored Regions couldn't cross the Black Sea, they depended on Seirin for silk, porcelain and other goods from Teiko. Not for the first time and not the last, Kagami cursed the usurper and his successor.

"The Mistress, you say?" Hyuga asked. Kagami turned his attention to the Teiko Senior Minister.

"Yes, the Mistress of the Black Sea and the Black Islands. One generation ago, Akashi Sentoshi-shujo the esteemed father of Akashi Seijuro-_**shujo**_, took the Mistress as his wife. She was known to Teiko as Empress Chie and when she perished, the title was passed down to her only child, Kuroko Tetsumi-_**himegimi**_", Minister Beni Kei said the name of the current mistress with so much reverence, like a priest speaking of its goddess.

At that moment, Kagami Taiga had no clue. It was just a name for him. Because people, even kings, had no way to see the future, he didn't have any idea.

Of how much _**important**_ that person would be to him.

Of how much he would come to _**hurt**_ that person.

But for the rest of the trip, nobody mentioned her again. They were more occupied with learning about Teiko. Before they knew it, they arrived at the port of Rakuzan.

* * *

**On the late summer of 70****th**** Year of Akashi Seijuro's Reign and the 15****th**** Year of Kagami Taiga's Reign, the Tenth King of Seirin and his entourage arrived at the Port of Rakuzan. They were welcomed by Prime Minister Mibuchi Reo and they ride in the sky to the Crimson Palace. **

**- Chronicles of Akashi Seijuro's Reign also recorded in Chronicles of Kagami Taiga's Reign.**

* * *

The journey to the capital of Teiko was enlightening. Kagami had seen the extent of Teiko's wealth on his way. The fields were green and since harvest time was approaching, turning gold. And the cities that they had flown above were busy and thriving. The buildings were well constructed and made of bricks or stones, even the farmers' houses in the hamlets had tiled roofs. The bridges that he had seen from above appeared to be sturdy. As they went north, the rice paddies turned to wheat and rye fields. There were dams around the rivers to avoid flooding. It was all genius engineering and excellent urban planning. He had seen Teiko's people and they were happy, well-clothed and healthy. Their clothes were in good condition without having too much patches and many women that he had seen had at least one hairpin on their hair. The children's cheeks were round and rosy and they laugh as they play around. Even the stray dogs and cats were healthy with rounded bodies.

It is the effect of a continuous seventy years of good leadership partnered with great political will and vision. The rumors were true then. _**A poor man in Teiko is a rich man anywhere else.**_ He couldn't help but wish that he could make the lives of Seirinians as prosperous…as peaceful as this. And he wondered. What kind of man could bring this…almost utopia to life?

He suddenly felt an overwhelming apprehension. He knew that Teiko is a flourishing empire but now he had seen with his own eyes just how much. Truly, Seirin at its present stage is nothing in comparison with Teiko.

Kagami would realize belatedly that this was maybe the reason why Akashi Seijuro invited him to visit Teiko. To show that the chances of winning against Teiko, no matter how brilliant his strategists are, was zero if not in negative numbers.

It's as if Akashi was telling him. You had no chance to win, why not join me?

Despite being impressed, Kagami couldn't help but grit his teeth.

It is true that _**a frog in the well couldn't see the ocean (2).**_

* * *

The _**Hall of Supreme Excellence (3)**_ stands in the center of the Crimson Palace's Outer Court. As Teiko's main administrative building, the main hall could host all of Teiko's Senior and Junior Ministers, the Generals, the Imperial Advisers and the Emperor. It is built above three levels of marble stone base with seventy five steps both on the left and right. One of its most stunning features was the carved white marble balustrades located in the middle of the flight of steps, separating the left side to the right side.

The carvings on the balustrades were lovely intricate phoenixes. It has four entrances in each direction. The roof bricks were painted a bright yellow color; the crimson pillars supporting the Hall of Supreme Excellence were decorated with gold filigree. The sloping ridges on the roof had ten statuettes of phoenixes in full flight as a symbol that this is the most important hall in all of Teiko Empire. It stands thirty-seven meters above the surrounding marble square on a terrace and protected by a thick white wall with red brick roofs. The marble courtyard surrounding the building was about thirty meters in four directions.

At this moment, the Emperor waited outside of the Hall of Supreme Excellence; at his sides were his Great General and his Right Minister. At the square below them, on the Right, the Public Officials lined according to rank and ministry. At the head of the lines were the Senior Ministers. On the Left, meanwhile, the soldiers also formed neat lines according to rank. By etiquette, they were facing each other, their head bowed slightly.

It is a rare occasion for them to be gathered like this; this type of this only happens in certain days of the year like New Year, the Solstices, the Yearly Awarding of the Top Three passers of Imperial Examinations and other such important events. Normally, in welcoming visiting dignitaries only the Senior and Junior Ministers would be invited. But the one who will be arriving soon was not an ordinary dignitary.

The King of Seirin.

After almost twelve generations, a member of Kagami Family would finally step into Teiko.

As Prime Minister Mibuchi had sent word that they would be arriving soon, Akashi-_**shujo**_'s senses (which are sharper than anyone in the world) caught the sound of flapping of wings. He flicked his crimson eyes upwards, to the sky, to see a group of Pegasus and winged horses. Then as the group became nearer, his eyes widen slightly.

'_Well, what do we have here?' _the Emperor thought. _'Kagami Taiga, you exceeded my expectations already'. _

At the head of the line, a little ahead of Prime Minister Mibuchi, was a man riding a beast only known to Teiko as a legend. _**A Fire Tiger (4).**_ A beast the size of a horse in the form of a tiger with flaming plate- sized paws; its bright ruby colored fur had strips of black stripes on it. As it floats in the sky, it left a trail of flare. In the East of Teiko and Seirin, in the Unexplored Islands, Fire Tigers are worshipped like gods. As the largest feline creatures in the world, they brought fear and respect to men. Even faster than a fifteen generation purebred Pegasus-the fastest domesticated flying animal in the world, it could endure cold and heat and could keep flying even after it had traveled around the world five times without stopping once. Or so the legend says, even Akashi Seijuro-shujo who would be having his 101st birthday this year had never seen one before.

"Hey, isn't that-?" Hayama asked in a disbelieving voice. The proof was right before their eyes yet they still couldn't believe it.

"A Fire Tiger…" Nebuya said almost in awe. He was also staring upwards.

Thankfully, the ministers and soldiers of Teiko were disciplined enough to avoid any chattering or even hushed whispers. But they couldn't help but breached etiquette when they raised their head and looked south to the direction of the arriving flying assembly

Short minutes of surprised wonder passed as the group became nearer and nearer to the marble Courtyard of Supreme Excellence. The first one to land in the center aisle, the ten meters of vacated space that separated the ministers and the army, was of course the man riding the Fire Tiger. Following closely was the Prime Minister of Teiko, Mibuchi Reo, who disembarked about three feet behind the man. The pelt of his white Pegasus glints silver in the light. Then following the Prime Minister were the Seirin party headed by a bespectacled man with black hair and a minister who some identified as the Seirin's Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs. Then the last to get off their Pegasus were the Teiko parties who accompanied and gave additional protection for the visiting monarch and his faction.

The ministers went down to their knees. They were sitting on their calves and their hands were on their long sleeved minister sleeves to cover half of the lower portion of their face. Their backs were straight as they welcome their visitors. The army, meanwhile, had their left knee on the ground while the other was raised in the same height as their shoulders. Their left hand was clenched into fists and was covered by their right hand and was raised on their mouth.

"Welcome to Teiko, Kagami Taiga-heika. We wish Kagami-heika ten thousand years of life.", the ministers and the army chorused.

But Kagami Taiga didn't seem to notice the greeting for his eyes were fixed on the man situated above the balustrades, dramatically positioned in the center where the marble phoenix carving ended. Behind him, the Prime Minister sank down to kowtow to his Emperor and the Teiko party that accompanied the Seirinians mimic their Prime Minister. The Teiko people, commoner or noble, is only allowed to kowtow to the Emperor and his family. In greeting other monarchs, they would do what the ministers and the army were doing now. In the same way as Seirin people who are only allowed to kowtow to their King and his family, the Seirin faction who Kagami-heika had brought to Seirin did what their Teiko counterparts did in honoring the Emperor. _**(5)**_

The two monarchs were the only one standing straight now. Their eyes were on each other and without a word; the Tiger King walked towards the bottom end of the right stairs and started climbing up. In an almost ceremonial gesture of mutual respect, the Phoenix Emperor started descending on the right. The Teiko public officials and the visiting Seirin ministers watched while holding their breath. This was not an everyday occurrence; _**someday**_ people would recount this tale and paint this picture.

Today was the day when the Greatest Phoenix Emperor would meet the Greatest King of Seirin.

When the two met in the middle, they stared at each other, assessing.

Kagami Taiga had red hair that he got from his Imperial Teiko lineage. His hair was short and choppy on the top but the bottom part was longer reaching his back. He had tied his tresses by a simple black string. The strange thing about his hair was that it became darker at the end so about an inch of his hair was black. The top of his right earlobe was pierced two times and had two thick plain gold earrings joined together by a simple thin chain.

He was also tall with wide shoulders; his built was that of a seasoned warrior so his black armor fitted him perfectly. His black armor covered his chest cavity and his shoulder protectors had the shaped of finely carved tiger heads, their mouth facing away from the king's neck. Underneath his armor, Kagami-heika wore two layers of upper hanfu. The first layer was white cotton and the next was a vivid red one. The sleeves of his hanfu were tied at from the end of his elbows to the area where his arm met his hands in crisscrossing style. Knotted under the shoulder protectors but over the two layers of hanfu was a long dark cherry-colored travelling cape that reached the back of his knees. His long legs were covered by loose black pants tucked on a simple knee boots where Kagami-heika's calves were covered by two black metals tied together by three successive knots.

"Welcome to Teiko, younger cousin _**(6)**_", Akashi Seijuro-shujo said nodding his head. "We wish that you would enjoy your visit to our humble country",

Kagami-heika was impolite enough to not acknowledge the Emperor's greetings. His fierce dark red eyes-yet another proof of his Imperial Teiko lineage- was looking slightly downwards to the face of the Phoenix Emperor.

The most powerful man in the world. Only reached his earlobes.

But what Akashi Seijuro lacked in height, he made of his presence. Kagami-heika could practically feel charisma and absolute power oozing from this man. If he were any other kind of man, he would've cowered and looked away from those pair of crimson eyes_** (7)**_. Those eyes held so much power that he felt like suffocating. (Kagami Taiga didn't realize it but if Akashi Seijuro was any other kind of man, he would've stepped back from the blazing red eyes of his Seirin counterpart)

Kagami Taiga couldn't help but look at this man. The man who had turned the rubble that was Teiko seventy years ago to the most progressive and most powerful empire in the world.

He was not exactly short and he was built with less muscle than Kagami-heika. Though he carried himself a little bit more proudly than the king. His back straighter and his gaze more confident. He had almost the same shade of hair as the liege of Seirin. His hair was long almost reaching his waist. His fringe was choppy and covered his eyebrows. Half of his hair was tied up in a style that Kagami-heika couldn't see because it was covered by a small golden crown pinned by a long golden stick with small round ends. The rest of his hair fall to his back. His ears were also pierced although it was the softer part of the lobes and two glittering red diamonds were fastened on it.

He was wearing three layers of hanfu. The first layer was a white soft cottony one; its sleeves covered the back of his hand only exposing his fingers. The second layer was of black silk with red cloud embroidery; the stitches of the embroidery were very thin and delicate and the sleeves were half an inch shorter than the first layer. The third and top layer was of a very bright red silk with golden phoenix embroidery on the chest area. It is the shortest, only reaching the protruding bone at the area where the hand and the arm conjunct.

The three layers were held together by a stiff black sash with embroidered gold designs and were tied by a dark gold chord. At the lower half of his hanfu ensemble, a piece of rigid golden cloth hangs from the middle. It was shaped with softly pointed end about two inches below the Emperor's knees. The edges of the cloth had half an inch horizontal black embroidery making the gold color pop up but at the center of the cloth was the intricately embroidered ten crimson phoenixes in full flight; their eyes were made pairs of golden diamonds.

Kagami Taiga's face hints his physical strength and looks no older than nineteen. It had strong clean lines with powerful chin and jaw line and had only hints of aristocracy in its wild appeal. He had strange forked eyebrows that sought only to emphasize his flaring red eyes, the shape of a cat. His nose was straight and his mouth was thin and almost set into a scowl. He was handsome in the same way that the symmetry of a tiger is beautiful.

Akashi Seijuro's face, meanwhile, was a medley of strength and delicateness and although he was several years older, he still looks young, not a day older than eighteen. He had slightly wider crimson eyes whose ends were quirked upwards with long lashes. He had thin eyebrows of the same color as his hair that was also quirked upwards. His nose was straight and almost delicate. His cheekbones were high and his lips were small and slightly plumper than a normal man. Despite this, his face overall was still manly and sturdy. He couldn't be called handsome as Kagami-heika is, the word that could describe him was beautiful, the way that a finely crafted sword is beautiful and dangerous.

After what seemed like ages, Kagami-heika finally acknowledged the greeting and nodded. "Thank you for your warm welcome, Akashi-shujo",

The Emperor smiled cordially and said "We had prepared a meager feast for you. Please come with us so that we may replenish ourselves with warm food",

* * *

**1. Right Ministers** – In AiMono Universe, the head minister is, of course, the Prime Minister. Directly below him or her, are the Right and Left Ministers. The Right Minister is in charge of the courtiers and political ministers. The Left Minister, or more commonly known as Great General, is in charge of the army. Tutors and Adviser like Head Adviser Shirogane Kozo have no political power. In Seirin, the Prime Minister is Aida Riko. The Right Minister is Hyuuga Junpei. The Left Minister, the Great General, is Kiyoshi Teppei.

**2. A frog in the well couldn't see the ocean – **A Japanese Proverb. 井の中の蛙大海を知ら. (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu). Basically means people are satisfied to judge things by their own narrow experience, never knowing of the wide world outside. Thank you linguanaut!

**3. The Hall of Supreme Excellence – **modeled after Forbidden City's Hall of Supreme Harmony. Please google it to understand.

**4. Fire Tiger – **the fastest, fiercest and most enduring flying animal in the world. They live in the islands east of Seirin. Very few in number and worshipped as a god in the Unexplored Regions in the East. They are as large as a horse with an appearance of a tiger except that when it flies, red flames would appear on its paws. They could endure harsh cold and blazing heat. Even blades who worked against Pegasus don't work against them. Their endurance was so great that they could fly around the world five times in five days at full speed without stopping. The last one who had managed to tame a Fire Tiger was the First King of Seirin. But the First King of Seirin wrote that "I never tamed a Fire Tiger. Tora had just decided to follow me". Tora was the name of his Fire Tiger. Fire Tigers had very long lifespan almost as long as a noble. They are very protective of their masters and would attack at the slightest provocation.

5. Ministers and Soldiers of Teiko are only allowed to kowtow at the emperor and his family. The same could be said with Seirin's ministers and soldiers.

6. Akashi-shujo called Kagami-heika 'younger cousin' because they descended from the same bloodline and even at that moment, Kagami Family is still regarded as Imperial Relatives.

7. Akashi-shujo had crimson eyes normally; his golden eye would appear at moments of great anger and a sign that you would never see the day again. But that rarely happen now in times of peace.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: The Chapter Two is too long so I decided to split it into two. **


	4. Chapter Two, Part 2: The Greatest Empire

**Title: Ai Monogatari**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: **Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings: **Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary: **Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

* * *

**AI MONOGATARI**

**愛****物****語**

**(LOVE STORY)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: THE GREATEST EMPIRE in THE WORLD, PART TWO.**

* * *

The feast was nowhere near meager.

The two leaders were seated in a circular table in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. At the Courtyard of Supreme Excellence, at the very end of the stairways was a rectangular table. Senior Minister Hyuuga and Senior Minister Tsuchida was seated on the left while Prime Minister Mibuchi, Right Minister Hayama and Nebuya-_**dai-shogun(1)**_ was on the right. Their back was on the Emperor and the other members of Seirin's faction joined the long rectangular table of the other Teiko Senior Ministers and Generals.

They were watching some female dancers perform. Their brightly colored hanfus moved elegantly as their hands held fans with long cloths attached to them. By now, the other lower ranking ministers and soldiers had already departed. The emperor and the king were served ninety-nine different dishes, not including dessert.

"Kagami-heika, we noticed that you had tamed a Fire Tiger. Could you tell us how you managed it?", Akashi-shujo inquired.

Kagami-heika, who was in the middle of chewing a piece of beef, swallowed and talked. Before the feast, he had personally escorted Tama_** (2)**_ to the Imperial Stables, where the stable master nearly fainted at its sight. Tama was allowed to have a smaller stable of his own when he warned the stable master that if something irritates Tama then he would eat it; people included.

That's a lie. Tama was fierce as a cat with catnip when not provoked or when not touched.

"Five years ago, when I traveled to the Unexplored Islands in the East, I accidentally landed on a strange island", No need to tell the emperor that he had misread the map. Prime Minister Aida nearly killed him at that time. He was alone and was delayed for five weeks. Thankfully, the matter was kept secret on his inner circle so Seirin didn't panicked. "I explored it a little bit-", actually he found it strange that no man was living there and didn't realize until it was too late that that was not the right island. "Before I realize it, it was already dark so I lead my Pegasus to a cave",

He still winced when he remembered it. Of all the islands in the world, it has to be that one. Of all the caves in the world, it has to be the Cave of the Fire Tiger.

"That's where I found Tama", he said with a hope that Emperor would never found out that it was Tama who found him.

"I see, so he was a cub at that time?" Akashi-shujo inquired. For some reason, his lips were smiling as though he could read his thoughts.

The duel between the two of them had been hard. Kagami, at that time, didn't know that what he was facing was a Fire Tiger. He battled and wrestled it until both of them were exhausted and Kagami's blade was broken without even piercing the Fire Tiger's body. As they lay panting, Tama who had his head and stomach on the ground more like a dog than a tiger stared at him. Kagami stared back. The beast and the man were so competitive on each other that they didn't look away. As they rest, a staring battle commenced. The price-at-stake was high. If Kagami-heika would lose, his Pegasus and possibly even he would be eaten. Then after five hours of looking intently at each other, Tama stood up and Kagami forced himself to do too. He thought that Round Two was up so even if his knees were shaking, he arranged his body to a fighting stance. To his surprise, the Fire Tiger only walked towards him and lowered his head on his feet. From then on, Tama had been his.

"How impressive", Akashi said thoughtfully. The Fire Tiger who was both arrogant and stubborn decided to serve and follow this man, now he knew for certain what he would do.

With his plan on his mind, the Emperor smiled genially to the King.

* * *

**A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.****One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves. ****Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this.**

**The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli)**

* * *

It was night already when the festivities finished. The Teiko Opera performed the piece of Two Monarchs after they ate. The Two Monarchs were the story of the Third Emperor of Teiko and the First King of Seirin, their ancestors. The actors and actresses were very good so the Emperor awarded them generously. After watching the play, Akashi-shujo invited Kagami-heika for a private dinner and asked Senior Minister Beni to take care of the other visiting dignitaries.

Sensing that this was the vital moment of their visit, Kagami-heika nodded and turned his head to Senior Minister Hyuuga and Senior Minister Tsuchida. Senior Minister Tsuchida smiled encouragingly and bowed deeply while Senior Minister Hyuuga's eyes and scowl told everything.

_Don't-fucking-mess-it-up!_

Kagami-heika could almost see the shadow of his Prime Minister and shivered.

"Is there something wrong, Kagami-heika?", Akashi-shujo asked.

"No, nothing is wrong", he said snapping his attention back to the Phoenix Emperor.

Akashi-shujo smiled warmly and said "Please don't worry about your people. They will be treated with utmost respect and the warmest hospitality. We had informed our staff to serve them as though they are us. Look at your visit in Teiko as a well-earned vacation from the weary court life",

_As if I could do that. The purpose of this mission is to see what kind of man you are. Akashi Seijuro, who are you really? _

Kagami-heika caught the scent of power and strength from a man several inches shorter than him. From his time with Alex, he had learned the way of the sword and the art of war. He could instantly tell that Akashi Seijuro despite the slim built was skilled in handling the sword. His footsteps were soft and silent. The way his eyes swept the perimeter even in his own castle was a proof that he is a consummate warrior who most probably sleeps with a sword under his pillow.

"Shall we go now?" Akashi-shujo asked.

"Yes, please lead the way", he said.

And despite being a consummate warrior, Akashi-shujo is also a perfect emperor. A lion and a fox combined in one. The perfect monarch is someone who could see traps like a wily fox and who could scare wolves like a lion. Kagami-heika may be a tiger who could scare wolves but he is nowhere near a fox who could see traps in his way.

* * *

**The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government **

**- Thomas Jefferson-**

* * *

"This is the Garden of Heavenly Wisdom. It was built by the Twelfth Emperor who wanted a place where he could read books in the beauty of nature and be near to the Hall of Supreme Excellence at the same time. He was, of course, our great-great grandfather", Akashi-shujo said as he held the right sleeve of his hanfu to pour tea for his guest.

They were in a decagon red pavilion with gilded crimson columns in the center of a great green garden. The grass was neat and there were large cherry and plum trees around. Planted on the ground were several bushes of red roses which were the cause of the sweet scent around. There were also large slabs of black and white stones strategically arranged to like a mountains without obstructing the view of nature. The pavilion was situated at the top of the hill with black stone steps leading to it and hanging on its roof eaves were red lanterns with red tassels. Inside the pavilion, in the middle was a large red lantern with the word **WISDOM OF TEN THOUSAND** **YEARS** painted in black ink. Hanging from the large red lantern were gold tassels and red knots of abundance.

"That lantern is called Lantern of Wisdom and it is believed that whoever is under its light would be granted wisdom", Akashi-shujo explained when he noticed his company's line of sight. He calmly sipped his tea as Kagami-heika looked at him for a moment before taking his teacup from the saucer and drinking the tea in it in a way that is unhurried and less rude than what he would normally do. Teiko people were so elegant that one couldn't help but mimic their ways. The lanterns provided good lightning and the sky was clear so the moon was high above sharing it moonbeams to them.

"As an emperor, we always study under the Lantern of Wisdom", the Emperor said. "Not because we are hoping that we are granted wisdom but because our people believe that the we will gain wisdom under it.",

Kagami-heika stared at him. "You don't believe its power?", It seems foolish to study under it when one doesn't even believe on it.

"We do not. In the same way that we don't believe that an emperor is a god and irreproachable. But it remains a fact that our people believe that we are a god", he said, his eyes glazed over slightly before becoming focused once again, as though remembering something. "Because our people believe that we are a god, when we issue orders or laws, they obey",

Then the Emperor's crimson eyes met the King's. Sharp. Resolute.

"When an emperor forgot that he is not a god, then ruin would soon follow. Wisdom doesn't come from a simple lantern, no matter how richly decorated, no matter how old. Wisdom comes from suffering and pain and joy and happiness. The wisest people are those who experienced suffering yet overcomes it and experienced joy without clinging tightly on it", Akashi-shujo said wistfully looking upwards to the Lantern of Wisdom.

For a moment, the pavilion was quiet. The wind blew softly and the rustling leaves created a pleasant sound. The Emperor sighed and poured himself and his visitor tea.

"Kagami-heika", Akashi-shujo said. "Do you know what's the most important thing an Emperor should have so that he could rule wisely?"

Remembering the words of a Teiko philosopher from one of Prime Minister's lesson, the King answered "Integrity. A monarch must have integrity. He must value justice and rule honestly",

Akashi-shujo smiled indulgently almost like a teacher to a student who raised his hand first and got the answer wrong.

"No", Akashi-shujo said. "The first and most important thing is…love. A king must love his country to rule it wisely",

Kagami's eyes widened.

"The good monarch must sometimes lie and deceive his people to protect them and avoid unnecessary chaos. He, most often than not, must hide things from his subjects. People are easily frightened after all. He must sometimes bend the law for the benefit of his people. He must dirty his hands and reputation for his populace. But as long as he truly loves his people, he would do fine", Akashi-shujo explained.

Kagami got where Akashi-shujo was heading. He waited for the Emperor as he finished sipping his tea.

"For the sake of both of our country, let us join hands. We had not worked for seventy years to see Teiko come to ruin again and we're sure that Kagami-heika doesn't want destruction to happen in Seirin", _For we will destroy Seirin once you crossed our sea. If you could even cross it. _

Kagami's eyes narrowed and he growled. "Justice must still be served",

"Justice and vengeance are not the same thing", the Emperor remarked coolly.

"My people would hate me if I agree with an alliance with you", Kagami answered back with much emotion.

"As leaders, we must bear our people's hatred. Luckily for us, our lives are not short and people forget easily. Give it a year or two of relative peace and they will forget it", Akashi-shujo's unwavering voice didn't change and this anger the King more. But thank the spirits that Prime Minister Aida and Senior Minister Hyuuga had thought-hit-him-enough to avoid bursting his anger out loud. He was shaking with restrained anger as he stood up and despite reigning himself; he still couldn't avoid hitting his palm to the table loudly. He stood up abruptly and rudely turned his back to the Emperor.

"I want to rest now. Let's continue this tomorrow", he said before walking away.

"Of course. We're sorry for not noticing", the Emperor nodded. At the corner of his eyes, he could see one of the chamberlain following the king, no doubt ushering Kagami Taiga to his room.

LINE BREAK

Kagami Taiga couldn't sleep. He had tossed and turned on his coverlet. He had walked back and forth on the large room filled with beautiful furniture. He had stared at the paintings hanging on the wall and looked at the beautiful jade statues in the shaped of trees with golden flowers on its leaves. He had even tried reading a book from that room. And still sleep evaded him. So he decided to walk outside where the air was getting colder as summer pass away. He thought that the colder atmosphere would lull him to the land of dreams but he couldn't help thinking about the upcoming harvest. _Are the crops okay? Will it be enough?_ So deep was he in his thoughts that he had not noticed that he had passed an invisible barrier.

The chief attendant who had ushered him to his elegantly decorated room had told him not to venture further to the north. His quarters were the largest and most richly decorated because it had been used by princes of the previous generations when they left their mothers at the age of nine and stayed there until their marriage. After marrying, the princes would be given land and would leave the Crimson Palace. And because this was the residence of princes, the quarters were the nearest to the Inner Court of Crimson Palace where the emperor and his women lives.

As the King of Seirin passed on a moon gate, the First Princess of Teiko's eyes widened.

"_**Himegimi**_", a thousand yet one voice said in the shadows.

"I know", Kuroko Tetsumi said. "How strange. A man passed the Gate of Supreme Purity without approval from _**shujo **_yet he's still alive",

"_**Do you want us to punish him?**_", the same voice asked.

* * *

"Gaah, I just couldn't sleep. The hell is that Akashi doing? Messing up my brain like this!" Kagami shouted in frustration. His loud voice made a strange echo.

"Where the hell am I?"

Realizing that the style of the garden had changed, he looked around. More flowers were planted in this garden. The pond had clumps of blue water lilies and white and pale gold magnolias. In the middle of the large pond was a small pentagonal style pavilion whose roof tiles were pure black. There were also stepping stones on the pond leading to the pavilion. The ground had peony flowers and rose bushes of white, red and gold variety. Even the trees, had orchids and flowering vines on them. The air was heavy with the scent of flowers yet it was not overwhelming. But the fact remains that despite the beauty of the garden, he still had no clue where he was.

"This is your entire fault, Akashi Seijuro!"

Alex would kill him for letting his guard down and Prime Minister Aida would once again insult his intelligence.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity", a voice spoke. It was a normal speaking voice yet since the garden was so quiet without even a single cricket, he could hear it clearly. It hints no emotion whatsoever.

"What the-", he cursed. He looked around, his gaze more intent on the mission to locate the owner of the voice. But he found no one. Even his sharply honed warrior senses, couldn't detect anyone. He instantly gripped the sword on his left side. Although his senses told him that no one was around. He walked backwards, his hands were trembling.

"Where the hell are you?", he shouted to the empty garden.

"I'm here", the voice spoke. Kagami-heika couldn't find out the general direction of the source of the voice.

Most ominously, there was an echo of the 'here' that brought chills to Kagami-heika's otherwise brave heart.

"A g-ghost?", he said, a cold wind blow. Okay, that didn't help his nerves. Tears were gathering at the corner of his eyes. Monsters and beasts and armies, he could face but not ghosts. And a structure as old as Crimson Palace would have its share of ghosts.

"How incredibly rude. I am not a ghost. Please look at the pavilion, I'm here.", the voice said and Kagami could detect a hint of disapproval mixed with a pinch of affront. He turned around and started walking to the direction of the pavilion. His right hand was still holding the handle of his sword. And sure enough in the pavilion was a figure.

By the voice, Kagami-heika could hypothesize that she is a woman. She was wearing a wide brimmed hat with a thick black veil covering her face and her whole figure to her calves. She was sitting in a hard ceramic stool judging by the matching three pieces that surrounds the circular table.

"Would you like to join me for tea?",

* * *

**And just like that…**

**Time stopped.**

* * *

_**Tetsumi,**_

_**The night is warm and I can view the rice and wheat fields from my window. Their stalks was bent to the ground like a man apologizing. Soon harvest time would come again. **_

_**The scent of the air where the summer was giving way for the coming of autumn reminded me of our first meeting. Do you still remember that night? The moon? Or the scent of flowers? The night was silent which was strange for a night in that season when usually the crickets would sing. And the wind was getting colder. **_

_**Autumn was arriving yet summer was still lingering. **_

_**Just like your feelings. **_

_**Tetsumi.**_

_**Do you remember that night? I think I could never forget it even to my dying day. **_

_**I felt like I had loved you at that very moment. **_

_**And yet, only now do I realize what was in your heart. Despite the arrival of autumn, you always held the summer in your heart. It was my arrogance to assume that I could make you happy and because of this, I had burdened you with my feelings for a long time. But despite everything that had happened between the two of us, I never wished to have never met you. I was-I am- really thankful that I had come to know you. Because other men had said to have held goddesses on their arms, but I had you and that for me was more than enough. You had allowed me to glimpse something amazing…something not of this world but of heaven. You had changed me and made me a man. **_

_**Tetsumi, my time with you was like a dream. And I wouldn't exchange it for anything else. However, now is the time to wake up. The dream is finished and it seemed to be foolish to not get up. **_

_**Don't worry about me anymore. **_

_**I would do my best to make Seirin the best kingdom in the world. To secure the future of my kingdom, I would take her as my wife. As you advise, I would try my hardest to love her and make her happy. **_

_**I wouldn't let my anger or temper get the best of me. I would listen to Prime Minister Aida. But you must promise me something too. From now on, you must eat healthier foods and in more quantity. Vanilla Milk Tea wouldn't provide you with enough nutrients to survive. Watch out for your health and avoid terrorizing poor people too much. Most importantly, don't be so self-less. I release you from your responsibilities. From now on, you should just enjoy your life. Stop thinking about other people's happiness and focus on achieving your own. You had wasted and sacrificed a good portion of your life already. And even if we live longer than commoners, we are still not immortal.**_

_**I fervently hope that one day, you could fall in love again. But next time, fall in love with a man who wouldn't make you worry too much. The kind of man who is dependable, intelligent and responsible enough that you wouldn't need to take care of him. The kind of man who could make you happy. A man who is unlike me or him. And when you found such a man, love him less than he loves you because you love too much that's why you always get hurt. **_

_**If he could have even half of my feelings for you, then it would be enough. For I am assured that you could never find a man who cares for your happiness, for you, more than I do. And when the day comes when you could finally wake up with a joyful song singing in your head and go to sleep with a smile on your lips, you must write to me and tell me all about it. For nothing would make me happier than the knowledge that you are finally happy and at peace.**_

_**You told me that happiness is something that we do not deserve. And when we are happy, it is foolish to think that it would always stay. For happiness is a gift, a fleeting gift. It cannot last forever. Like the cherry blossoms. But if there's one person who deserves it, it would be you Tetsumi. Ah, I should now call you Kuroko-himegimi right? Somehow it feels strange and it would be long before I got used to it. **_

_**Kuroko-himegimi, you must never let me see you again. Not for my sake, the spirits know that I would give everything I have to have a glimpse of you again but for your sake. Because if we would have a chance of meeting each other, I would do something shameful and once again, you would be burdened with this pathetic feelings that you do not return. Although, I wish-for your sake not mine- we would never meet again, I do hope that you'll write to me how you are faring there and what you are doing. **_

_**I would be waiting for it. **_

_**This is the end isn't it? I have nothing more to say but farewell.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Kagami Taiga, Tenth King of Seirin**_

_**P.S. If you die before me, I'll kill you.**_

**- Kagami Taiga's unsent letter. Twenty Years in the future. It was found on the pages of one of his books that looks like it hadn't been read even once. It seems that he had written it half-drunk.**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

**1. Dai-Shogun – **Means Great General. The Head of the Army. He leads the other Generals. Also known as the Left Minister. For more information, look at part one's explanations of Right Minister.

**2. Tama – **an incredibly common cat name in Japan. It means round or egg or jewel.

* * *

**I just realized that I kept on asking people to review but I never really replied to any of my reviewers. Bad Author. So here are my replies to your gracious reviews. Thank you for everyone who read this story but please review. Even if it's just a little "Please update soon". Although I would appreciate more thoughts. **

To **xXRandomnessPrevailsX**x - I'm sorry I uploaded these chapters. I know that I asked you to be my beta reader but I'm just getting impatient. I do hope that you like it.

To **Marcius F.S** - Thank you for your review. Although I am not really confident with my grammar, I'm glad that someone found my level competent enough. I hope that you find these chapters entertaining.

To **Shizuku700** - Thank you for noticing my research. Truthfully, I love historical novels especially those set in Medieval China and Feudal Japan. I watched plenty of Historical Asian Films too. The letter is a sneak peak to what the relationship of Kuroko-himegimi and Kagami-heika would be in the future. I hope that I didn't reveal too much and spoiled it. And regarding Akashi-shujo's pairing... in the future... Akashi-shujo would fall in love with a plain **Seirinian **girl who served Kuroko-himegimi. Their Ai Monogatari (Love Story) would be one of the most celebrated, most written about story in the world. The almost 'cinderella' of the AiMono world.

To **danny** - I hope that you like the chapters. Himuro Tatsuya wouldn't be from Seirin but Kagami-heika considers her to be her sister. How the two met and how Himuro would meet Murasakibara-denka, I would reveal in the future.

To **hitomi65, chibi-onna1, Kirie Mitsuru, Kuruizaki-hime and sweetchill**- Thank you for the review. I hope that you like my updates. And Tada~ I ended it with a cliff hanger and an almost 'sneak peak'. But Kuroko-himegimi and Kagami-heika finally met. The letter hints their future relationship.

To **Zeze95** - I'm really sorry for making it too complicated. I like detailed sorry so even if the smallest detail, I would add it. But thank you for bearing with me. I do hope that you enjoyed it.

To **wasabi cake** - I would post a timeline soon so that you could now their ages. By far, the youngest of the characters would be Taka-hime and the oldest would be Akashi-shujo and Midorima-denka.

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**NEXT CHAPTER: **Kagami-heika would get to know the woman with the black veil who introduced herself as 'Teruya, Shujo's servant'. Kise-hime and Aomine-denka's wedding is approaching. Taka-hime would finally make an appearance.


	5. Timeline of Ai Monogatari

**Title:** Ai Monogatari

**Rating:** T

**Pairings:**Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings:**Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary:**Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

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**TIMELINE of AI MONOGATARI**

* * *

**250 years before the start of the story**

General Kai killed the 9th King of Seirin. He massacred the entire Kagami Clan. The youngest prince escaped with the help of his wet-nurse, who disguised him as a girl.

* * *

**230 years before the start of the story **

The youngest Kagami prince married a sage woman named Hatsu. Hatsu will give birth to a boy who will become Kagami Taira who will become the father of Kagami Taiga.

* * *

**225 years before the start of the story **

The second prince of Teiko **(Sen-ni-hiko(1))** would ascend the throne. He would take the name **Sentoshi (2)**.

* * *

**200 years before the start of the story (Year 25 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

The youngest Kagami Prince was killed. Hatsu and Kagami Taira will escape. Hatsu would later die because of an accident. Kagami Taira would roam around Seirin as a mercenary.

The Heiress of the Kuroko Clan would enter the Harem and would later become the Empress. She had the childhood name of **Sen(3)** and would take the name **Chie(4).** She would later give birth to a daughter who has the childhood name of **Teruya(5)**.

* * *

**100 years before the start of the story (Year 225 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Midorima Shintaro and Akashi Seijuro (then called **Sei-ju-hiko(6)) **was born

* * *

**97 years before the start of the story (Year 228 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Aomine Daiki and Momoi Satsuki was born

* * *

**95 years before the start of the story (Year 230 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then **Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi(7)**) and Kise Ryoko was born

* * *

**94 years before the start of the story (Year 231 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Murasakibara Atsushi was born.

Akashi Seijuro (the called Sei-ju-hiko) would be adopted by **Chie-joko(8)**

* * *

**83 years before the start of the story (Year 242 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) was sent to the Eastern Dessert Kingdom to be the bride of Ogiwara Shigehiro, the First Prince of the Meiko Kingdom.

* * *

**80 years before the start of the story (Year 245 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

First Prince Shigehiro (**Shigehiro-ichi-hiko(9)**) divorced Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya) and sent her back to Teiko. Weeks later, at the siege of the Eastern Palace, Shigehiro-ichi-hiko would kill himself. The throne would be taken by his uncle.

Midorima Shitaro and Akashi Seijuro (then called Sei-ju-hiko) reached the **Age of Majority (10)**.

* * *

**78 years before the start of the story (Year 247 of Akashi Sentoshi's Reign)**

Sentoshi-shujo and Chie-joko perished through the hands of Noble Consort Umehana who wanted her son, the third prince to inherit the throne.

The Succession Wars began.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) was smuggled out of the Crimson Palace by Prime Minister Shirogane and was adopted by the Kuroko Clan.

* * *

**77 years before the start of the story (Year 1 of Succession Wars)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi), Kise Ryoko and Momoi Satsuki reached the Age of Majority.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) became the Head of the Kuroko Clan and the Mistress of the Black Sea and the Black Islands.

Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko), upon seeing the turmoil and destruction that the constant civil war had brought to the people of Teiko, decided to become the next Emperor.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) decided to travel around Teiko.

The Crown Prince, the Third Prince and Fifth Prince were killed by the Second Prince.

* * *

**76 years before the start of the story (Year 2 of Succession Wars)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) would meet Nijimura Shuzo who was leading a small group of warriors whose mission was to protect the civilians at Rakuzan. Nijimura would name Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) as the new leader of the group.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) would meet the rogue Prince of Too, Aomine Daiki who was disgusted by the corruption of his father and brothers. He would join the Akashi Seijuro's group and through his great magical powers and unparallel swordmanship skills became a general.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) met Momoi Satsuki, an information vendor who is also their distant cousin and the childhood friend of Aomine Daiki.

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) would meet Midorima Shintaro, a well-known healer, scholar and archer, who hated the war that killed his father and younger sister. He would join Akashi Seijuro and become a general.

The Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince was killed by the Fourth Prince. The Sixth Prince killed himself.

* * *

**75 years before the start of the story (Year 3 of Succession Wars)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) met Murasakibara Atsushi in the cold Alps of Yozen. He was abandoned and was dying of hunger.

The Eight Prince was killed by the Fourth Prince.

* * *

**74 years before the start of the story (Year 4 of the Succession Wars)**

Kuroko Tetsumi (then Akashi Teruya-ichi-himegimi) and Akashi Seijuro (then Sei-ju-hiko) met Kise Ryoko who was about to be sold by his father to become a prostitute.

Akashi Seijuro's army's popularity would increase and they would be called Generation of Miracles by the Teiko masses.

The Second Prince killed the Fourth Prince.

* * *

**70 years before the start of the story (Year 8 of the Succession Wars)**

The Generation of Miracles defeated the Second Prince's Army and the Second Prince killed himself.

Nijimura was killed in the battle.

Akashi Seijuro was accepted by the spirits as the Emperor of Teiko. He ascended the throne.

The other members of the Generation of Miracles were also accepted as the princes/princess/priestesses of their respected lands and religions.

* * *

**68 years before the start of the story (Year 2 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign)**

The Incident of the Blue Temple happened wherein the Vizier of Too tried to kill Aomine Daiki. The attempt failed and the Vizier hanged himself in prison.

* * *

**67 years before the start of the story (Year 3 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign)**

Akashi Seijuro, as the tradition dictates, gave his remaining unmarried sisters new names. Akashi Teruya took her mother's clan's name Kuroko and was given the name Tetsumi. The Emperor gave the White Orchid Pavilion to Kuroko Tetsumi and restored her to her title as the First Princess.

* * *

**65 years before the start of the story (Year 5 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign)**

The First Healing House was established in Rakuzan, the other countries would soon follow.

The Insurance Law was passed.

* * *

**30 years before the start of the story (Year 40 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign)**

Kagami Taiga was born.

* * *

**15 years before the start of the story (Year 55 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign and Year 1 of Kagami Taiga's Reign)**

Kagami Taiga defeated Sho, the son of General Kei the usurper. He took the throne and became the Tenth King of Seirin.

* * *

**14 years before the start of the story (Year 56 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign and Year 2 of Kagami Taiga's Reign)**

The Fourth Great Beauty of Teiko was born.

* * *

**10 years before the start of the story (Year 60 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign and Year 5 of Kagami Taiga's Reign))**

Midorima Shintaro, the Prince of Shutoku, met the Fourth Great Beauty of Teiko. He gave her the name Kazue. The Hawk God accepted her as its priestess thus gaining the title Hawk Princess (Taka-hime).

* * *

**START of AI MONOGATARI (Year 70 of Akashi Seijuro's Reign and Year 15 of Kagami Taiga's Reign) **

The Massacre of the Black Sea happened.

* * *

**NOTES**

**1. Sen-ni-hiko – **literally means Second Prince Sen. **Hiko** is the honorific term for an Imperial Prince in contrast to **Denka** that were used by Aomine etc. Akashi-shujo and Kagami-heika's sons would have the title of **hiko. **

**2. ** **Sentoshi – **Nobles would commonly change their names when they reached the age of majority. Korea and Japan have the same practice. Tokugawa Ieyasu's childhood name was Takechiyo and it was changed to his most common name. Emperor Akashi Sentoshi's childhood name was Sen(戦) which means Soldier while Sentoshi would be written as**戩**歳. The first character would mean 'Exterminate' while the second character would mean 'Harvest'. In Teiko, combining a cruel name with an auspicious name is common for the emperor. It is believed that an emperor must not be too kind or too brutal. Akashi Seijuro-shujo's name means subjugate and perfection.

3. **Sen – **as you can imagine, Kuroko-himegimi's parents have the same childhood name but they are written differently. Sen, this time, would be written like this千. 千 means One Thousand.

4. Chie – it would be written like this**智**恵.It would mean Blessed with Wisdom (First Character means: Wisdom, Second Character means: Blessing).

5. **Teruya – **Kuroko Tetsumi's Childhood Name. It has the characters照也 which means To Illuminate (First Character means: Shine, the Second Character means: To be).

6. **Sei-ju-hiko – **Literally means Tenth Prince Sei. Sei would be written as勢which could also be read as Sei but means Strength

7. **Himegimi ****Himegimi** –means Princess although the Kanji Characters are different from Hime. The Title of Kuroko Tetsumi. The Emperor's Daughters are referred to as **Himegimi **in contrast to the King and Princes' Daughters who are called **Hime. **

8. **Joko **– means Empress. A Queen would be referred to as Jo'ou.

9. **Shigehiro-ichi-hiko – **literally means First Prince Shigehiro. It is to be noted that succession in Aimono Universe is not decided by birth. The Emperor/King decided who to name as the Crown Prince although usually the Empress/Queen's first son would be named as the Crown Prince. If anyone had watched Korean Drama 'The Moon Embracing the Sun', it should be noted that Prince Yang Myeong was older than the King but he was the son of a concubine. King Lee Hwon and Princess Min-hwa were both children of the Queen. If Kuroko-himegimi had been born as a boy, he would've been the Crown Prince.

10. **Age of Majority – **the age where a person is given a parcel of land from the government and was allowed to marry. For commoners, it would be eighteen. But there's no definite age for nobles. The nobles grow like commoners for the first ten and a half-year of their life. Then somewhere in their teenage years, they would be sick for a day or two where their magic would first appear. Then after a day or two, it would stabilize and they would be able to use magic for the first time. At this time, the nobles' body would age more slowly than commoners.

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**I know I promised to post the next chapter but it's almost finals here in Philippines. I could write anything but I had already completed the outline for the next chapter. I hope that I cleared the story and the Gom's past. As you can read, Kuroko and Akashi are half-siblings. Kuroko's parents have their own Love Story that ended almost tragically.

Please Review and Tell me what you think.


	6. Chapter Three: 照也: TERUYA

**Title: Ai Monogatari**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: **Kagami x Fem!Kuroko, Aomine x Fem!Kise, Murasakibara x Fem!Himuro, Midorima x Fem!Takao, OnesidedFem!Kuroko x Aomine, PastFem!Kuroko x Ogiwara

**Warnings: **Gender Bender, Alternate Universe, OOC, Slow Updates, Slow Romantic Development.

**Summary: **Kuroko Tetsumi, the First Princess of Teiko and the favourite sister of the current emperor, had been prophesized to love three men. The first man loved her but she hadn't been able to save him. The second one would never love her in the same way. The third one…

**Author's Notes: **Once again, I apologize for grammar mistakes!

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**AI MONOGATARI**

**愛****物****語**

**(LOVE STORY)**

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**CHAPTER THREE: 照也****: TERUYA**

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**In Teiko, before the reign of Emperor Sentoshi, there's a legend that a goddess lived in the Black Islands. They said that she controlled the deceptively calm Black Sea and with a snap of her fingers, the sea would wipe out an entire armada. They told stories about her and how she ruled a clan of black beings, not human nor spirit. That's why every time a ship would sail east to trade with Seirin, they would make an offering to her. **

**Legends had always been exaggerated truth.**

**The young second prince of Teiko had no clue of this, of course. He had never wanted the throne. He had no desire to be an Emperor. As brilliant and as talented as he is, he had no wish to be strapped on a throne to listen to a bunch of old men spat at each other. He wanted to be free. He wanted to travel and explore the world. And so, one day, he stole some of his servants clothes and sold some of his jewelry and took off. He wanted to first go to Seirin and then to the Unexplored Region. **

**He had no idea that he was being followed. That the third prince had seen him as his only threat in ruling Teiko Empire. One evening, on the ship to Seirin, the servant of the third prince pushed him to the sea while he was watching the waters. **

**His head hit a rock as he sank to its depths and he thought that he would really die. It was then that he realized how foolish he was. His life was never his. His older brother, spirits bless him, was not right in the brains and had remained a child even to that day. And his younger brother… he could still remember the puppies that he had nailed to the tree and the one time he ordered his servant to drink black ink. Just because he can. The thought of his younger brother ruling Teiko made his skin crawl. But it was already too late. He was dying and he closed his eyes as he struggled to breathe. White bubbles appeared as he choked. The last thing he saw on his mind was his younger brother on the throne smiling psychotically as Teiko burned before him.**

**Then, there was a soft hand on his cheek. He could feel the rough texture of the sand on his body and the cold wet water hitting him. His eyes fluttered in its attempt to open. The scent of the sea reached his nose with an unknown sweet scent from the hand on his cheek. After several attempts, his eyes opened in a fraction. The first thing he saw was a hand holding a white flower. His gaze swept up and saw.**

**And saw.**

'**This must be heaven', he thought as he succumbed to sleep. **

**The next time he opened his eyes, he was in a soft large bed. There was a steel basin with a white cloth hanging from it. He slowly and painfully sat on the bed. His hand touched his forehead to feel the bandages on it.**

"**Have you finally woken up?", a small voice asked. His skin got goose bumps as he screeched. He tried to look around the room but no one was there. **

"**I'm here". He turned his attention to the foot of the bed and his mind had gone blank. **

**The woman from the shore. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And that's saying something because he had lived his childhood surrounded by the most beautiful women in Teiko. **

"**Who are you?", he blurted out. **

"**I am called Sen", she said, her clear blue eyes were the color of the Black Sea. **

"**What a coincidence. My name is Sen too", he introduced smiling slightly.**

**The woman named Sen.**

**The second prince named Sen.**

**Years and years later… the second prince named Sen would be the fourteenth emperor of Teiko and would be called Emperor Sentoshi. He would father Akashi Seijuro, the Fifteenth Emperor of Teiko, and Kuroko-himegimi. The woman named Sen would be his consort and would be called Empress Chie. She would give birth to Kuroko-himegimi.**

**That was their first meeting and the start of a love story that was never meant to be. Their love would twist the fates of the next generation of kings, princes and emperors.**

**Because in another life, in a world where Emperor Sentoshi had never met Empress Chie, there would be a different love story. A love story that would've ended with Kuroko Tetsumi as Akashi Seijuro's beloved Empress. **

**But that was just that.**

**A world of might have been.**

* * *

"_Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity", a voice spoke. It was a normal speaking voice yet since the garden was so quiet without even a single cricket, he could hear it clearly. It hints no emotion whatsoever._

"_What the-", he cursed. He looked around, his gaze more intent on the mission to locate the owner of the voice. But he found no one. Even his sharply honed warrior senses, couldn't detect anyone. He instantly gripped the sword on his left side. Although his senses told him that no one was around. He walked backwards, his hands were trembling. _

"_Where the hell are you?", he shouted to the empty garden. _

"_I'm here", the voice spoke. Kagami-heika couldn't find out the general direction of the source of the voice._

_Most ominously, there was an echo of the 'here' that brought chills to Kagami-heika's otherwise brave heart. _

"_A g-ghost?", he said, a cold wind blow. Okay, that didn't help his nerves. Tears were gathering at the corner of his eyes. Monsters and beasts and armies, he could face but not ghosts. And a structure as old as Crimson Palace would have its share of ghosts. _

"_How incredibly rude. I am not a ghost. Please look at the pavilion. I'm here.", the voice said and Kagami could detect a hint of disapproval mixed with a pinch of affront. He turned around and started walking to the direction of the pavilion. His right hand was still holding the handle of his sword. And sure enough in the pavilion was a figure. _

_By the voice, Kagami-heika could hypothesize that she is a woman. She was wearing a wide brimmed hat with a thick black veil covering her face and her whole figure to her calves. She was sitting in a hard ceramic stool judging by the matching three pieces that surrounds the circular table. _

"_Would you like to join me for tea?",_

* * *

"You!", Kagami-heika said breathlessly as he pointed a finger accusingly to the woman. "Don't just appear like that!"

"I've been here the whole time. You're the one who had intruded into this garden", she said in a seemingly apathetic voice. But as strange as it is, Kagami-heika could detect the hint of amusement on her voice.

"Liar! I would've noticed you if you were!",

"You have an incredibly inflated opinions on your skills. Overconfidence is the first step to the ruin of men", the woman remarked. Kagami-heika's face were the exact shade of a red lacquered wood.

"Y-you… Who the hell are you anyway?", he asked thinking of no other response to her remark.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question? Don't you know that this side is off-limits?",

"These courts?",

"This is Shujo's Inner Courts". The woman raised her right arm so Kagami-heika could see the sleeves of her hanfu that covered her arms and only exposed her fingers. Her ring and pinky finger were encased by a _**long cone-like golden claw**_**(1)** decorated with by red rubies. The gentle light of the moon made the rubies sparkle and Kagami-heika was entranced by the elegant motion in which she took the finely decorated tea-cup. Her face and whole figure was still covered by a thick black veil from a wide-brimmed hat. Travelers would wear this kind of hat to protect themselves from insects and dirt on their journey. Because it is summer, many insects roam around the night even at _**Crimson Palace**_**(2)**. She withdraw her right hand back to the protection of the black veil and Kagami-heika could assume that she's drinking tea.

It was then that he remembered what she said.

"Inner Courts(3)? You mean, I'm on his harem?", Kagami-heika shrieked. He had known that a man couldn't just walk inside the Inner Courts. There's an enchantment that protects the King/Emperor's wives and to assure that no other man's children would be crowned as princes.

"How strange… You should be dead by now. But I guess the spirits really made idiots' bodies resilient", she remarked.

"Y-you! Do you know who I am?", Kagami-heika said almost imperiously pointing his finger to the woman.

"No. But let me ask you, do you know who I am?",

"Should I?"

"Then I throw back that answer to you",

There was a blank silence then suddenly Kagami-heika doubled over and laughed. His laugh were like thunder; loud and carefree. The type of laugh that is infectious.

"You really are something", he said grinning. His red eyes were sparkling and the grin on his face was quite roguishly handsome. He walked towards the pavilion and as he went nearer, he could see the silhouette of the woman. Although the black veil covered her whole body and her face, Kagami-heika instinctively knew that she was a beauty. And Kagami-heika had learned that his instincts were rarely wrong. As he stood before her, his large body creating a shadow that engulfed her, she just raised her head and didn't show any signs of fear. Not a fidget and even if he couldn't see her facial expression, Kagami-heika knew that she was unafraid.

_She's a brave one. _Kagami-heika thought. Even men would cower when he had stood hulking like that in front of them. There's just something about Kagami-heika that brought fear and excitement to people.

"I don't dislike that kind of cheekiness". The grin on his face widened as he sat in the ceramic garden stool on the other side of the round table that separated them. "I'm Kagami Taiga, the Tenth King of Seirin and all that crap", he introduced as he grabbed the handle of a delicate white porcelain teapot and poured himself tea.

"I knew that you are Kagami-heika", she said quietly as she watched him ungracefully serve himself. "Does Kagami-heika really delight on being rude or is it just his habit to prevent a good hostess to prevent her from giving her best hospitality?"

"What?", Kagami-heika asked as the tea overflow the teacup. The amber liquid created a splatter on the finely carved marble table. He didn't know which statement to address first. "You knew who I was!",he said accusingly. He ignored the scatting remark about his personality in favor of more important things.

"Didn't I said it before. Kagami-heika should be dead right now. Only male family members could saunter into this court without Shujo's permission. The fact that Kagami-heika is unharmed confirmed that he had the Akashi blood on him. No male of this world, except Shujo and Kagami-heika, bears the Akashi blood in their veins", she explained. "If Kagami-heika had only gracefully accepted my invitation the first time, I would've treated him with less discourtesy",

Kagami-heika reflected on his actions and confirmed that he really was rude to her.

"I apologize", he said regretfully. "I was really rude aren't I? You just surprised me", _More like frightened the living shit out of me. _

"It's fine, at the very least, Kagami-heika knows how to apologize". Kagami-heika could hear that there's something different from her voice. And he felt that she must've been smiling. Thinking of her smiling, made his heart lighter and also made him smile from the heart. He got the feeling that this woman rarely does such things. How he instinctively knew these, he didn't know. He always found it difficult to understand woman's feelings but with his companion, in her veiled face and body, Kagami-heika felt himself almost attuned with the changes of her feelings and moods.

"It's unfair that you knew who I was but didn't introduce yourself", Kagami-heika accused. Somehow, he felt embarrassed suddenly as his pointing finger scratched his cheeks. He didn't know that the woman found this gesture quite adorable.

"Please excuse me for my rude behavior", she inclined her head slightly to bow. The hat tipped slightly and the thick black veil swayed. From her gestures, Kagami-heika heard the tinkling of metals probably from the hair ornaments she wore inside her hat. "I…Let's just say that I was given the name Teruya",

"_**Teruya**_**(3)**. How do you write that?"

"Teru from the character Shine and Ya from the character To be",

"So it basically means To illuminate. How fitting."

"Eh?", Kagami-heika heard her quiet surprise and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"What? I just think that it fits you. I felt like there's a really bright aura illuminating you", he said with the same embarrassed behavior he had when he accused her of not introducing herself. _Eh, what's that? Why did I felt shy? Why do I feel like I had embarrassed her too? _Kagami-heika asked himself.

"It's nothing. It's just that it's the first time somebody had said that to me",

This, Kagami-heika, couldn't understand. How could they not see the same bright light that he could see now. It's just incredibly clear for Kagami-heika. Like the moon on a starless sky.

"I also think that Kagami-heika's name fitted him too. He had incredibly high opinion of himself", she added.

_This bitch… _Kagami-heika gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Ah… don't get me wrong. A king should be a little bit more arrogant than ordinary people. If he had no confidence on himself, then how could his subjects trust his decisions?", she amended. But the tiger was not appeased. Kagami-heika was tired and troubled by the events of the day and he directed his rage towards this woman.

"You spoke as if you knew something about ruling and everything but you're just a concubine that warms Akashi Seijuro's bed!", he shouted. Even as he screamed this words to her, Kagami-heika realized something in himself. There's only one reason why a beauty like her would stay at the Imperial Inner Courts. This woman with her scathing remarks and cheeky comments , who had made him laugh as no woman ever did, was a concubine. A backyard wife for Akashi Seijuro. A woman who belonged to another man. The realization brought a strange feeling on his stomach. As though somebody made a sucker punch to it.

There was a stunned silence on the garden. An almost deafening one. After a few seconds, Kagami-heika realized how insulting his words were and cursed his short temper.

"I'm going to sleep", Teruya said quietly as she rose from the stool.

"W-wait! I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those words. Please forgive me", Kagami said standing up as well. "You see. I have a really short temper and I tend to blurt out stupid things that's why my ministers sometimes called me Bakagami",

"Kagami-heika's ministers calls him Bakagami?", she asked. Her voice was pleasantly surprised. As though there was a soft laughter brewing from her lips.

"Yeah. I don't mind it cause they're my friends",

"Kagami-heika is really a strange king", she said returning to her seat.

"Well, I didn't grew up in the palace so I don't know court etiquettes and the like…",

"Kagami-heika must've had a hard time when he was made king",

"I don't really mind. The Seirinians depended and trusted me and I really want to make their lives a little bit easier", Remembering his duties to them made Kagami-heika also recall the reason for his visit to Teiko. The thought made a dark gloom shadow him.

Teruya must've remembered it too.

"About the Black Sea Massacre… I apologize for it, in behalf of all Teiko people", she said and there's no insincerity on her voice. "I know that these must be empty words. But I am really sorry",

Kagami-heika looked at her and smiled soothingly. He felt that he had made Teruya depressed. "Why are you apologizing? You had no part on that. You have nothing to apologize for",

"Still… one of our countrymen did Seirin injustice. Somehow, I felt really ashamed by this",

There was a short silence that was broken by Kagami-heika's words.

"What kind of country is Teiko? I had seen it at a distance and I don't live here that's why I don't really know",

"Well, if a flower could represent a country then I guess Teiko is a bouquet", Teruya explained. "It's composed of five principalities and each principalities have their own people, culture and characters. Yozen Citizens are generally tough and stubborn. Kaijo Citizens are businessmen and are said to be shrewd. Shutoku people are scholars with proud personalities. Too is a port principality and the people of Too were said to be easy-going. Rakuzan was a combination of the four. We have different opinions on different matters and sometimes our ideas would clash against each other",

Teruya explained the situation of Teiko with the same tone of a mother describing her children. There's a certain pride and joy in her voice.

"But if there's one thing Teiko people have in common is that we despise war and bloodshed. We would never wage war against a country and would prefer settling everything in diplomatic talks", There's a hard edge on her voice that convinced Kagami-heika of her words. "Even if we have to bow our heads. We would do it so that our children would never see war",

_Ah…_Kagami-heika thought regretting his words to her earlier. _You… you're not just a concubine are you? _For only a seasoned warrior… a veteran… could speak against war with such conviction.

"That's why I wish that Kagami-heika would not wage war against us", she said and Kagami-heika felt that her eyes were on his. He could imagine it, the steel edge on it and how it beseechingly probed to his.

"I couldn't promise that. You see, even I hate Teiko for what they did", Kagami-heika could recall the faces of the victim's families. A man in that ship had left his pregnant wife widowed. A woman had done a thing no daughter should do-to die before her parents. A brother had left his younger siblings with no one to depend to. Seeing their faces. Hearing their grief. Kagami-heika couldn't just forgive and forget.

"It's fine to hate Teiko. But please don't condemn your people and my people to die for revenge. It is not Teiko who killed your people. It is just one man",

"But you had denied all of it! That's the most insulting part!", Kagami-heika said fiercely. "I heard that Akashi Seijuro have the Emperor's Eyes and he could see everything but he still denied that… that…",

"Don't blame Shujo for it, please. He might be the most powerful man in the world but he couldn't do anything by himself", she said.

_Ah, I forgot. I am speaking to Akashi Seijuro's wife. Why do I feel irritated? It's normal for a woman to depend her husband. _Kagami-heika thought.

Another unbearable silence.

"If I would accept Akashi Seijuro's hand, then my people would hate and curse me", Kagami-heika said quietly. There was a strange foreboding silence then. Kagami-heika felt that he had said something wrong…or disappointing. His suspicion was confirmed when Teruya abruptly stood up once again and turned her back to the king.

"I see…Kagami-heika is more concerned by his reputation than the well-being of his people. How disappointing", she said with a soft voice that brought the same feelings as cold breeze in a winter day.

"No! That's not it!", Kagami-heika denied. _Why do I want to defend myself from this woman's misconception? Why do I care about her opinion of me? _He asked himself.

"That's exactly it. Kagami-heika doesn't realize that in order to be a king, one must be capable of bearing the hatred of his own people and protecting them still despite their hatred. After all, it is not the land that makes the country but the people living in it. More than anything, they are the treasure of a country",

_She's right. All this time, I had known the right path but refused to see it because I am afraid of how the people would think of me. Because when I lead the revolution against the False King, everyone was with me. I was supported and adored by the masses. But now, if I accept Akashi Seijuro's hand, then I would be hated by the people. Just for that selfish reason. The most important thing is not my pride nor the morale of the country. That thing, we could recover over time but more life wasted on a war could never go back again. When did I become like this? But I guess it's fine now. I had seen my faults, the only step left is to change it._

Teruya started walking away as he reflected on his actions. Thankfully, Kagami-heika opened his mouth before she disappeared on the dark.

"I'll accept it. I'll rescind my declaration of war", Kagami-heika shouted. Teruya stopped as she was about to cross the Moon Gate. "You're exactly right. I was a fool, thinking about the public's opinion before thinking about my people's wellbeing. Such selfishness could've lead my people to a useless battle. I wouldn't care if I am hated by the people as long as they are safe",

* * *

Kuroko-himegimi saw his blazing red eyes as he walked towards her. How bright. It hurts to even look at it. He was more sure of himself now. She had seen that expression before. On a certain dark-blue haired prince, before he was a prince. When he was just one of his father's many sons. He had criticized his father for his corruptions and general apathy to his people and so his father had ordered him to be killed. The Panther Prince had looked at his executioner with the same eyes that Kagami-heika has.

Kagami-heika is prepared to bear the hatred of those the people he loves. How painful it must be.

"Thank you, Teruya", he said as he smiled softly.

Teruya. How long was it when she had been called like that.

"I changed my opinion", she found herself saying. "If Kagami-heika would continue to see his faults and improve himself for the better, then surely… Seirin would become a great kingdom",

"Ehhhh. That's the best thing you had said so far",

"But still, you have to watch out for your temper and your face",

"What the hell is wrong with my face!",

"It's just that you reveal too much", she said which is true. In just a few hours after meeting the young king, Kuroko-himegimi could already read him like a well-worn book.

"Tch", he made an incredibly annoyed sound which accompanied the expression on his face. "Yeah. Yeah",

A smile, unseen from Kagami-heika's eyes, formed on her lips. How strange it is, to smile on the night when she's the most miserable? She guessed that life couldn't really be fully lonely nor could it be fully happy.

"Ano… could I see you once again next night?", the young king asked. His face and his body structure was already that of a full-grown man yet his expression was like a boy asking his mother if he could have the dessert. Kuroko-himegimi found this endearing.

"I can't but I promise I'll come by the night after that", she gently said.

A large grin appeared on the king's face that would've illuminate a city for a night.

But it wasn't enough to light her heavy heart.

For this is the night before she really had to let go of Aomine Daiki.

Tonight… is the night before the wedding of Aomine-denka and Kise-hime.

* * *

The hooves of Midorima Shintaro's Pegasus created soft clanks as it landed to the _**Ever Green Palace's**_**(4)** stable. Behind him were his guards. Miyaji Kiyoshi and Otsubo Taisukegreeted him with detached politeness which he answered with the same reticence. He had came from inspecting the research institute west of Shutoku who were in charge of studying agriculture. The results were proven satisfactory and by next year, they would be able to produce flood-resistant rice.

"SHIN-CHAAAAAAN!", a loud girlish voice yelled. Midorima-denka, clutching his talisman, looked left and right and saw no one. He knew that voice and could identify its owner by a heartbeat. Sighing with exasperation and still wondering why he had picked up such trouble, he looked up to see _**Takao Kazue(5)**_ at the brick roof.

"WELCOOOOME BACK!". The young girl smiled and the full moon illuminated her angelic features. Add this to the fact that she was still at the very flower of youth, the guards and even Miyaji and Ootsuni (who should be used by her exquisite beauty by now) couldn't help but held their breath.

"KAZUE! What are you doing there?! Get down here immediately, you foolish girl!", Midorima-denka shouted. There are very few person who could make the cool but eccentric Prince of Shutoku flustered. And the Hawk Princess is one of them.

"I don't know. I was waiting for Shin-chan at my room when I fell asleep. Then I woke up here", Takao-hime said merrily.

Midorima-denka's annoyed face turned sober as he sighed. "Come back down", he said opening his arms. Such events were not really unusual for Takao-hime who had been honored to receive the favor of the Hawk god. Because of this, strange events happens around Takao-hime. Like sleeping on her bed and then suddenly finding herself at the top of a roof. Or waking up amidst a scatter of red spider lilies in her room. As the Hawk Princess, she was able to see visions of the past, present and future like the Emperor of Teiko but the only difference was that she had no control of it.

As Midorima-denka opened his arms, she smiled delightedly. Then without fear or hesitation, jumped from the roof to Midorima-denka's outstretched arms. She was only wearing white sleeping clothes and even her hair was unbound. The very height of public indecency for Shutoku people who are known as straight-laced and serious. Midorima-denka used his magic to suspend her fall so that he wouldn't be ungraciously knocked down. He quickly wrapped her arms around her small body as she descended. She smelled like pine trees and wildflowers and he couldn't help but inhale the refreshing scent.

"Shin-chan… so warm", Takao-hime said snuggling and wrapping her arms around Midorima-denka's neck.

"Wh-what are you doing, Kazue!", Midorima-denka said flushing in a very unbecoming shade of red as he struggled to free himself from the girl's embrace. The guards and two ministers watched the scene with amused eyes.

"Shin-chan…I'm-". A large yawn. "Sleepy",

Then, the Hawk Princess eyes blinked a few times and fluttered close. Her breath became even as she slept on the Prince's arms.

Midorima Shintaro turned his back to his retainers and said "It's already late we'll meet the day after tomorrow".

The guards smiled knowingly while Miyaji and Otsubo nodded. The two ministers would normally be annoyed by the trouble but even they had a soft spot for the veritable jewel of Shutoku. As they saw their prince rearrange her body to a more comfortable position, they bowed and walk away.

When the two were left alone, Midorima carefully strode towards Takao-hime's quarters. Takao-hime's caretaker, an older woman bowed politely. She opened and closed the door as Midorima-denka entered, leaving the two inside the room. In the sleeping mat, Midorima gently laid the young woman down, brushing her dark hair away from her face as he put the blanket over her body. The back of his long bandaged fingers brushed Takao-hime's softly rounded cheeks to her pink lips.

"Shin-chan…", the young girl said in her sleep.

"Sleep well, Kazue", Midorima-denka whispered, a small smile blooming from his lips. In the back of his head, he wondered how long could he hold on to her. The Hawk Princess…Takao Kazue…the little girl that he had raised. Not long now, she would reach her Age of Majority. The Hawk god was a powerful god who is somewhat related to the Crimson Phoenix and had rarely shown favor to any mortal. The Hawk god might take her to the realm of gods. Just thinking about it brought dread to his stomach. For the past decade, she had been part of his life and now, as strange as it is, he couldn't imagine facing the speed of the world without her bright smile or her irritating voice.

But if something would come to take her away from him, then Midorima-denka would fight it. Because she is his. Even before she became the Hawk Princess.

* * *

**70 Years Ago (Year 8 of the Succession Wars)**

"You know sometimes I grew jealous of the bond of Kuroko-chi and Aomine-chi", Kise Ryoko confessed. "It seems that you two could understand each other so well that you need not speak to know each other's thoughts".

The Phantom of the Generation of Miracles was silent as they stared at the dark man teaching the local children how to handle the sword. A young girl, not even reaching his hip, was struggling to hold the sword. Aomine Daiki knelt to the ground to help her. A large smile adorning his face. He looked so young and so vibrant that Akashi Teruya wanted to avert her eyes. Aomine Daiki, sensing that somebody was watching him, looked at their direction. His eyes instantly zeroed to the golden-haired beauty by Akashi Teruya's side. His smiled widened.

"What the hell are you looking at Kicho? Are you falling more in love with me?" he shouted.

A bright blush graced Kise Ryoko's cheeks as she shouted "Aomine-chi! Stupid!", She started walking away and as she turned her back, Aomine's eyes followed her and the smile on his lips turned affectionate.

Akashi Teruya's hands clenched into fists. Her short fingernails making moon-shaped marks on her palm. His dark eyes had not even glanced at her.

"I may understand Aomine-dono better than anyone but you, Kise-dono, will always have his eyes".

Sometimes, she wondered what's lacking with her. Is there something in her that she could change so that she could have him. She understood him better than anyone and knew the sweet awkward kindness that he has despite his gruff and rough manners. But then she remembered that love couldn't forced. It couldn't be teased. They say that all love was made in Heaven. But if that's true… then what about her feelings for him?

If her feelings were not love, why does it hurt so much?

* * *

Kise Ryoko sat in front of a large round mirror. Her hair was adorned by beautiful dark gold jewelries with blue sapphires, red rubies, gold and cream pearls. Her silk hanfu was bold and flashy. The most prominent color of her wardrobe was gold in varying hues. A gauzy piece of silk shawl hanged from her forearms. Her hanfu had red and blue embroidery of butterflies, flowers and birds. Her earrings were red corals, a betrothal gift from her fiancé, came from Too's blue sea. Her neck was decorated by a long string of soft gold and cream pearls. Her fingers had rings of gold and her wrists had beads of white jade.

She, who is normally beautiful, looked like a goddess. The incredible craftsmanship that Kaijo was internationally known for could be seen in her bridal trousseau. No doubt her outfit would be the talk of decades to come. It would be imitated by young brides, commoners and nobles alike. As the leader of a country so well known for their fashion and jewelry, she had to play the part of a fashion icon.

"Please excuse my intrusion", a soft voice announced. From the mirror, Kise-hime saw the door opened and one of her most favorite person entered the room.

"Kuroko-chi!", she exclaimed, turning around and making her elaborate hair accessories tinkle. She stood up and despite wearing an outfit that would hinder one's movements, her gait was still elegant.

The First Princess of Teiko was engulfed in a warm hug as the Princess of Kaijo beamed at her.

"I came to see you and comfort you but seeing you now, it seems that I ought not to have been worried", she said as the two sat on a large armchair.

Kuroko-himegimi, who had been married once, thought that Kise-hime would be nervous. It was her wedding day after all. After Kise-hime's handmaidens had finished dressing her, Kuroko-himegimi asked if she could see her friend. Since Kise-hime no longer had female relatives, her concerned handmaidens was more than happy enough to allow Kuroko-himegimi in.

"It's strange. But I -we- had been waiting for this for a very long time. It's like…", she said a little bit flustered. The flush on her cheeks came not from her rouge. She was vibrant and glowing from a happiness of a woman finally marrying the man that she loves.

"It's like coming home", Kise-hime said quietly. Kuroko-himegimi smiled indulgently.

"I wish you two will be happy together", the Mistress of the Black Sea said. And she was not lying. No matter how painful it is, she had never wanted her friends to be unhappy.

"Kuroko-chi…", Kise-hime said, tears gathering from the corners of her amber colored eyes.

"Please don't cry. You'll ruin your make-up",

The Princess of Kaijo held back her tears and smiled. It was so bright that it would have brought the shining sun to shame.

"Kuroko-chi should find the best man in the world and have him fall in love with you. Then he would pamper and treat you like a goddess", Kise-hime said cheerfully as she held both of Kuroko-himegimi's hands. "Ah, but don't fall in love with someone like Aomine-chi who doesn't have a sensitive bone in his body". They both sat a long chaise with golden cushions.

"I wonder about that… finding the best man and making him fall in love with me", Kuroko-himegimi said as she took her hands away from Kise-hime's grasp. She neatly folded it into her lap as her eyes become distant.

"Don't worry. As long as a man could see and get to know Kuroko-chi, he'll fall in love with you. No doubt about that. If I had been born a man, then I would have fallen in love with Kuroko-chi", Kise-hime said seriously. It looked strange in such a joyful, free face that Kuroko-himegimi had to smile.

"If you had been born as a man, then Aomine-denka would have to be born as a woman", Kuroko-himegimi said. "Or he'll still fall in love with you despite being a man",

That's how it is.

The two of them, Kise-hime and Aomine-denka, had managed to take down every wall and opened every door that came between them. Not even politics. Not even destiny had been able to separate them two. For the truth is that, seventy years ago, Head Priestess Momoi was against such union. As the Head Priestess of Azalea Congregation, she had seen the Book of Matches and could communicate with the Goddess of Marriage. Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryoko was not fated to be together. They were both yang or light element. Such union would only bring disaster. The truth is that Kise Ryoko was actually destined to be with the Prime Minister of Kaijo, Kasamatsu Yukio. And Aomine Daiki was supposed to be marry Kuroko Tetsumi(then Akashi Teruya). Of course, no one knew this but Momoi Satsuki. After denying the blessing for Aomine-denka and Kise-hime's marriage, she had only explained to her livid childhood friend that the two of them were not fated to be together. They wouldn't be able to have children together because their souls was bound not to each other. It was perhaps the most painful thing that Momoi Satsuki had done. Without the blessing of the Azalea Congregation, they couldn't get married**(6)**. Add this to the fact that both Kaijo and Too's political parties were against such union. Kaijo people and Too people had an intense dislike of each other**(7)**. Kaijo people, who are used to luxury and art and were consummate merchants, thought that Too people uncouth and provincial. Too people, meanwhile, who sustained their living by tilling the earth and fishing, thought that Kaijo people were proud and cunning.

But after hearing that Aomine-denka declared that if that's the case, then he would change destiny.

Fifteen years ago, after fifty-five years of changing the opinions of their respective principalities, the Goddess of Marriage finally relented. Momoi Satsuki was told that they could now get married.

The wheel of fate had changed. The two rulers stubbornness had worn-out even a goddess.

"Kise-hime, Kuroko-himegimi… the Hawk Princess and Head Priestess is here",

"Oh, let them enter!",

As the door opened, a young girl ran inside and threw herself into Kise-hime's arms. It would've knocked down a normal woman especially one's who's wearing such custom but it must be remembered that Kise-hime was the woman who had rode and fought alongside the greatest fighters of Teiko as a general.

"Ki-chan!", large silver eyes peered to the golden princess. The Hawk Princess, the Autumn Beauty of Shutoku, had the face of an angel and looks no older than fifteen. She was wearing Shutoku's traditional _**Hanbok**_**(8)** with bright green jacket and tangerine orange skirt. A butterfly shaped ornament hang from her jacket. Her long dark brown hair was braided on both side of her head until it met in her nape to a thick plait tied by a red ribbon. A round golden hair ornament in the shape of a flying hawk was held at the top of her head by a black ribbon under the thick braid.

"Ki-chan, you look soooooo pretty!", Takao Kazue said smiling. It seems like sparkles erupted from her bright face.

The whole room that contained the Four Great Beauties of Teiko became full of girlish giggles. Hearing it would've brought a smile on one's face like the sight of a blooming flower.

The three helped Kise-hime to her Pegasus-drawn carriage. The Pegasus were exquisite creatures with white coat and bright gold manes. The carriage was painted with Kise-hime's color; bright gold. As the carriage rose to the air, soldiers riding winged horses guarded her left and right. In front, an army bearing Kaijo's dark blue and white colors rode in their full uniform. In back, some female ministers accompanied their liege together with some of Kise-hime's handmaiden with Kise-hime's dowry. The other three Great Beauties' carriage flew side by side with Kise-hime's, protected by their respective guards.

* * *

**On the Late Summer of the 70****th**** Year of Akashi Seijuro's Reign, Kise Ryoko, the Princess of Kaijo, and Aomine Daiki, the Prince of Too, had finally joined their hands into matrimony. The two who had been lovers since the Succession Wars had a long engagement until finally the ministers and nobles of both Kaijo and Too had relented and approved of their wedding. The wedding happened at the border of Kaijo and Too at twilight. The Kaijo and Too people eagerly watched the procession. All of Teiko's nobles including the other members of the Generation of Miracle witnessed the ceremony. **

**Meanwhile, Kagami-heika and his parties, were toured by Prime Minister Mibuchi Reo around Rakuzan. **

**- Chronicles of Akashi Seijuro's Reign**

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_**My mother said that half of our life is joy, the other half is sorrow. I thought that I had my fill of sorrow but destiny had proven me wrong once again. **_

_**I realized that one of the most painful feeling in this world is letting go of the people we love. I thought that I had known how to do it. I had, after all, let go of my first husband and my parents. But how could I mourn for the loss of a person that was never mine to begin with. I had loved him for the past seventy years in the dark. I had kept everything inside me and let no one see these hopeless feelings. And it's not as though I am harboring any hope that he may return it. I knew from the start that these love is unrequited. I blame myself for falling in love with a man who could never love me back.**_

_**No matter how much I walk behind his back, he would never turn around because he had someone at his side. Equal to him in radiance. How could he notice me who had always been a shadow? **_

_**Longing for something I couldn't have. How foolish. But even if I told myself these things a countless times, I still find myself every night facing the south. The direction of Too. I am always wondering. Had he eaten yet? What is he doing? Is he already sleeping? Can he see the moon and the stars?**_

_**The most pathetic thought would have to be… Did I pass on his mind that day? I couldn't help asking these because not a day had passed since I had known him that I didn't think of him. He was always on my mind.**_

_**I love him. **_

_**I love him so much that I could give him everything and anything. **_

_**I love him with a love that seeks nothing in return. That's why I had never told him this. He's a kind person and it would hurt him to know that he had hurt me. **_

_**It's better this way. Nobody die of loneliness. I comforted myself. Sometimes it is best to simply look and never touch. I tried to convince myself. Don't we find the hairpins more beautiful when they are on display and once we bought them and take them home, we found ourselves seeing its defects and that it was not really that beautiful as we thought it to be. Maybe the same could be said to people.**_

_**But I knew him. Inside and Out. I accepted everything. His occasional selfishness. His recklessness. His irritating easy-going style. His often times rude behavior. I accepted it as part of him because I knew that despite everything… he's a good man. He takes everything in his heart and is unbearably kind. **_

_**I remembered how he had treated your wounds in the war. His gentle, shaking fingers and the softness of his lips when he kissed my forehead. (the only kiss that we shared). How he had shielded me from an enemy's spear using his own body. How he asked me, despite bleeding, if I'm alright. How he looked at the ruins of Too and said 'Whoa… nothing is really left'. He smiled and turned to me 'It means I could make anything out of it'. He was the light when everything was dark. He had been laughter in the midst of grief. But when he had been the one in the dark. When he had been betrayed, I was powerless. I couldn't do anything. The only one who had been able to take him from the depths of despair was Kise-hime. **_

_**That's why it was only worthy for Kise-hime to have his great heart. **_

_**I watched them as they joined their hands together. Everything was light. Everything was bright. The look of sublime happiness on his face. The look of pride. His feelings. His joy. He looks so handsome in his dark blue wedding hanfu. I could help but imagine the tattoo that was peeking on his neckline. I had seen it, golden butterflies were permanently painted on his left chest to his shoulders and neck. Seventy years ago, when Head Priestess Momoi denied their application for marriage, Aomine-denka had the tattoo made. A proof that no matter how long, he wouldn't give up. He wouldn't settle for any other woman but her. A proof of his unyielding feelings for the woman that he had loved from first sight. **_

_**I'm such a foolish person. **_

_**(I love you. I love you. Please be happy. I want you to be happy.)**_

_**Farewell. Although you had never known it – and you would never know it- I love you. **_

_**Aomine-denka.**_

* * *

Akashi-shujo watched the ceremony with fond eyes. He was truly happy for the two but then he turned his eyes back to his sister. It is well enough that his sister had mastered the art of camouflaging her expression. Only he, because she's her sister, knew of her grief. Her expression remained softly smiling but her eyes were distant and her hands were shaking in her lap. She looks so beautiful in a melancholy that she hides from the people she loves.

_My poor poor sister. _How could she torture herself like this? She couldn't even cry.

If only there's a way to heal her.

But no matter how much gold could he invest on researching for it, there's no cure for heartache.

* * *

**MEANINGS**

**1. Long Golden Claw – **It was fashionable in Ai Monogatari to have long fingernails as a sign of status. The longer the fingernails, the higher the status. Almost like how the lotus feet are to China. In order to protect these fingernails, women would wear golden claws. But as years passed by, the fashion of long fingernails disappear still women in Teiko would wear these golden claws.

**2. Crimson Palace – **its formal name is **Crimson Palace of the Great Phoenix of Teiko. **The home of the Imperial Family and is divided to two; the Inner Palace (the Harem) and the Outer Palace (the Administrative Area). It is so big that it is also called **the Crimson City. **It has approximately 6000 rooms but only about two thousand is currently in use by the Imperial Family. The 4000 had been converted by the **First Princess of Teiko **into public hospitals and be compared to the Forbidden City of China.

**3. Teruya **– Kuroko Tetsumi's Childhood Name. It has the characters **照也** which means To Illuminate (First Character means: Shine, the Second Character means: To be). Kagami Taiga's first name means Big Ego.

**4. Ever Green Palace – **its formal name is Ever Green Palace of Shutoku. The home of the Prince of Too and is structured the same as the Crimson Palace but with smaller and lesser rooms. Located at the top of Green Mountain at the center of Shutoku.

**5. Takao Kazue – **Her name in contrast of the way Takao Kazunari **(****高尾****和成****) **was written like this **鷹****尾****和恵****. **It basically means Hawk Follower, Builds Blessing. Takao was given to her when she had received the favor of the Hawk God, her first name meanwhile was given by Midorima Shintaro.

**6.** Technically only nobles would seek permission from the Azalea Congregation for marriage, commoners have more freedom in marrying. Azalea Congregation needs to monitor the union of nobles to avoid children with birth defects that was mostly common to nobles who intermarry each other.

**7.** The opinions of Kaijo and Too people could be compared to Tokyo and Osaka who had a long standing rivalry against each other. Tokyo which was once the political capital of Japan in the Edo period were often straight-laced and thought that Osaka, which was a harbor for exchange of goods and Osakans are shrewd and boisterous. The Osakans meanwhile sees Tokyoites as prudish and serious. Kaijo and Too could also be compared to France and United Kingdom.

**8. Hanbok – **The traditional costume of Koreans. Shutoku people would mostly wear Hanbok because I think that Hanbok is really beautiful yet strangely modest. I think that it is a perfect outfit for the Shutoku people because they are mostly scholars. So please imagine Takao-hime dressing up like Jang-heebin of Jang Ok Jung – Live for Love (which have incredibly pretty hanbok and awesome hairpins btw). FYI, Kaijo women dress would be like **Tang Period Hanfu** which was known as incredibly flashy and quite daring. To see the example of **Tang Period Hanfu**, please watch _**Zhang Ziyi's Curse of the Golden Flower**_.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Uwaaah… Finally, I finished the third chapter. I hope everyone likes it. Special thanks to the people who reviewed.

First to **Kirie Mitsuru: **yes, Kuroko-himegimi is 45 years older than Kagami-heika. But because nobles generally age slower than nobles, Kuroko-himegimi still looks like a teenager. It is really difficult to know the age of nobles by appearance alone. Kagami-heika actually looks like in his early twenties because his Age of Majority arrived late in comparison to Kuroko-himegimi. Ogiwara-ichi-hiko and Kuroko-himegimi's marriage was more of a political marriage that developed into love. The reason why Ogiwara-ichi-hiko divorced Kuroko-himegimi was also due to political reasons and for her own safety. Please review the timeline. There was a civil war and because Ogiwara-ichi-hiko knew that her life would be on danger, he divorced Kuroko-himegimi and sent her back to Teiko before the enemies reached the palace. He knew that if Kuroko-himegimi would remain in Meiko Kingdom, she would be killed because of her relationship to him. This happened a long time ago, even before Kuroko-himegimi reached her Age of Majority. (She was actually married when she was just twelve years old and divorced when fifteen!). And in terms of Kuroko-himegimi and Aomine-denka, well, they have a special bond. They fought together in the war and Kuroko-himegimi saw Aomine-denka at his best (and worst). Strangely enough, she fell in love with him (even if she knew that Aomine-denka loves Kise-hime). I think that love's just like that. We sometimes fall in love with people that we shouldn't have fallen in love with. And why did Kagami-heika wrote that letter (hehehe… I'll reveal it much much later!). The Black Sea Massacre was the reason why Kagami-heika and Seirin were angry and wanted to wage war against Teiko. Please read the first and second chapter for more info. And Akashi-shujo would get married… soon in fact. The letter was actually a sneak peak (a strip tease if you may) and I'm quite sadistically laughing right now. (please pardon me). I really have no intention of dropping this story and had really thought it through so the whole story was actually planned. Just keep reviewing so that I wouldn't lose any interest in writing it. Anyway, thank you for appreciating my writing. I have my trepidations that sometimes I make it too detailed that it became crowded and confusing but as I just couldn't write simply and straightforwardly. You see, I could see the scenes not in words but in pictures, like a movie so I wanted to describe what I see and hear to everyone. I'm really sorry for the very long reply. Please continue supporting me!

To **hitomi65: **Thank you for your review. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter too. Please drop me a word or two on how you feel about this one!

To **thecoldforest: **Yes, I really had planned it out. Thank you for noticing and reviewing. I wanted all the details of my story to be precise even the tiniest bit. I hope you like this chapter too.

To **Blank Angel: **Thank you for wishing me good luck. Although I am not really confident on how well I did on the exams but I finally made it through. *Yay* I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't worry, I'm now in the process of writing the next chapter. Also *whisperwhisper* I plan to have this story end happily (relatively) but be aware that there are some major angst ahead. And it's not really Prime Minister Aida who Kagami-heika would marry. I'll reveal the OC later (much later) in the story. (Actually there would be two women. Damn you, Kagami-heika!). He never sent the letter and it could be a good and a bad thing, actually. I will try to finish the next chapter before Second Semester which is in November so please watch out! I hope you'll drop me a word or two! Please?

To **guest: **Thank you for appreciating the intricate background and politics. I tend to write stories with business and/or politics because I'm into business and I love political stories. I also love action but I just couldn't write action scenes! Please include your name the next time you review so I may include it and thank you more personally.

To **Anatia Haru de Luna Ley Fay**: You… really have a long username. Ah but that's beside the point. Thank you for reviewing! Please visit my tumblr aimonogatari to see the pictures that were my inspiration if you wanted to see their clothes. And their hairstyles are more of a combination of Tang, Ming, Yuan China and Joseon and Gogoryeo and Shilla Korea.

To **Ginpachi-sensei: **Uhmm… it's more of a fact that he doesn't really want Kuroko-himegimi to die before him. Much like how Ron in HP7 said to Harry "Harry, if we die saving them. I'll kill you!". Anyway, thank you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter too!

To **Arius the Heretic: **Ah, I apologize for leaving you hanging. But I do hope that you like this chapter. Please tell me how you feel about this okay?

To **Kohaku Teina: **I love Color Cloud Palace and Twelve Kingdoms! Thank you for appreciating my story, I was really afraid that people wouldn't read it because it is genderbent but there are really people like you who could really overlook it so thank you very much! And if you're thinking who I'm thinking then… I could say that Akashi's future beloved would not be really known as the most beautiful woman in the world (actually many would wonder why Akashi-shujo fell in love with her since she's just pleasing in the eye and nowhere near as beautiful as Kuroko-himegimi nor does she have Kise-hime's charm) but she would be more of like Akashi-shujo's conscience. The type of woman who could control Akashi-shujo's rages and tone down his often violence. She would be well-known for her simplicity, practicality and modesty.

To **Fujoshi04: **Thank you for reviewing. Please tell me how you feel about this chapter too.

To **kuroshiro.19: **My reply to your question: Would the two have unrequited love? Please read more of the future chapters to find out. Anyway, thank you for reviewing. Please tell me how you feel about this one too.

To those **people who put me in their favorite, alerts etc**: Thank you very much although I hope that you'll drop a review or too. Reviews are author-san's food and drink! I hope that you like this chapter too.

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Anyway **NEXT CHAPTER**: Kagami-heika and Kuroko-himegimi (who he knows as Teruya) would meet again and Kuroko-himegimi would finally shed tears. Kagami-heika would go back to Seirin and leave his heart at Teiko.


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